Fowler again avoids bogeys, leads Reed by 1 shot at Barclays
Rickie Fowler kept bogeys off his card for the second straight day and closed with a 5-foot birdie putt for a 3-under-par 68, giving him a one-shot lead over Patrick Reed going into the final round of the Barclays in Farmingdale, N.Y.
Fowler has gone 45 holes without a bogey at Bethpage Black, the site of two U.S. Opens and among the toughest courses on the tour. Along with his three birdies Saturday, he made three par-saving putts of at least 10 feet, including one from 25 feet early in his round.
“It’s nice to finally see some putts go in,” said Fowler, who was at 9-under 204. “With a few putts going in, it frees up the rest of your game. I’ve been swinging well for a long time, and I’ve been waiting for the putter to catch up.”
Reed overcame three bogeys in a four-hole stretch on the front nine and was tied for the lead on the back nine until the final two holes. He missed a 5-foot birdie putt on the 17th, and his 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole almost missed weakly to the right.
Jordan Spieth scrambled his way out of the rough and the sand. Spieth didn’t hit a fairway from the second hole until the 15th, yet he still played even par. But on the par-3 17th, he flubbed a chip and took double bogey, and a birdie on the final hole gave him a 72. He was six shots behind.
This is the final tournament for Americans to earn one of the eight automatic spots for the Ryder Cup matches next month. Fowler was at No. 12 going into the opening FedEx Cup event and needed at least a third-place finish to earn a spot.
“It’s pretty simple,” Fowler said. “I’ve got to take care of business tomorrow. It’s been a while since I’ve been in this position. It’s going to be tough tomorrow. We’re on one of the — if not the — toughest golf courses we play all year.” LPGA Tour: A week after withdrawing from the Rio Olympics because of a left knee injury, Ariya Jutanugarn shot a 5-under 67 to maintain her lead in the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open in Priddis, Alberta.
At 17-under 199, she had a two-shot edge on In Gee Chun.
“Feeling good,” Jutanugarn said. “I mean, I had two bogeys the last three holes, but I still shot 5 under, so it’s still good.” Chun shot a 66. Sei Young Kim (68) and Stephanie Meadow (69) were 12 under and three-time champion Lydia Ko was tied for 10th at 10 under. Champions Tour: Gene Sauers took the Boeing Classic lead, two weeks after his breakthrough victory in the U.S. Senior Open.
The 54-year-old Sauers twoputted for birdie on the par-5 18th for a 5-under 67 and a two-stroke lead over Joe Durant. The three-time PGA Tour winner had a 12-under 132 total at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge in Washington.
Durant birdied the last for a 65. He won the 3M Championship three weeks ago in Minnesota. European Tour: Bradley Dredge shot a 1-over 72 but held a one-shot lead after the third round of the Made in Denmark tournament in Farso.
Dredge was at 12-under 201, with David Lipsky (67), Adrian Otaegui (68) and Thomas Pieters (69) a shot back. Joakim Lagergren was at 10 under.