I. Park keeps rolling birdies, shoots 67 to build 3-stroke lead at Nabisco
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — Inbee Park’s tee shot Saturday on the 168-yard 17th hole turned to left on a perfect line at the back-left pin, landed softly and rolled to 21⁄ feet to set up yet another birdie in the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
The 24-year-old South Korean player, 3 strokes ahead with a round left in the first major championship of the year, admitted it wasn’t quite the way she planned it after watching playing partner Lizette Salas’ ball sail too far left and into a bunker.
“It was actually a little bit of a miss-shot,” Park said. “I aimed a little more right, but I slightly pulled it and it ended up perfect.”
Bogey-free in her past 22 holes at Mission Hills, Park shot her second consecutive 5-under 67 in tricky winds to reach 12 under.
“I feel really good about my swing and the stroke at the moment,” Park said. “I feel really comfortable around this golf course, too. That helps. Three good rounds, and I just need another one (today).”
She’s in position for her second major title and second victory of the year. She won the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open and added her fourth LPGA Tour title in February in Thailand when Ariya Jutanugarn closed with a triple bogey to blow a 2-stroke lead.
Salas, a stroke behind Park entering the round, had a 69 to remain in second.
PGA Tour
SAN ANTONIO — Billy Horschel overcame the strong Texas wind and is one round away from his first PGA Tour win.
Horschel held off an experienced leaderboard Saturday to shoot 2-under 70 and take a 2-shot lead entering the final round of the Texas Open.
Horschel, who also held the lead after the second round, battled through the gusting San Antonio wind to reach 10 under overall — 2 shots ahead of Jim Furyk and Charley Hoffman.
The Florida native was second at last week’s Houston Open and extended his PGA Tour-best streak of consecutive made cuts to 21 this week.
Rory McIlroy shot a 1-under 71 and is 4 shots back. McIlroy tied for the low round on Friday with a 67, but he was inconsistent off the tee on Saturday and had four birdies and three bogeys.