Leishman maintains BMW lead
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — As much as Marc Leishman has been through, especially off the golf course, it takes a lot to get to get under his skin. He tells his wife that even after a particularly bad round, give him 10 minutes and he’ll be fine.
His last tournament, when Leishman lost a two-shot lead on the back nine at the TPC Boston, was an exception.
“That one probably took a day,” he said. “It stung a bit.”
Saturday at the BMW Championship brought Leishman on the verge of redemption.
Leishman got upand-down from a tough lie behind the 18th green for one last birdie that gave him a 3-under 68 and extended his lead to five shots over Jason Day, a Westerville resident, and Rickie Fowler going into the final round at Conway Farms.
Leishman, who was at 19-under 194, gets another chance to win a FedEx Cup playoff event and grab one of the top five seeds at the Tour Championship next week. The top seeds have a clear path to claim the $10 million bonus.
And this opportunity is much better than two weeks ago.
Leishman shared the 54-hole lead at the Dell Technologies Championship TPC Boston with Justin Thomas, who surged past Leishman and held off Jordan Spieth. This time, no one could make a run at him on a warm day with a steady wind that made conditions faster and more difficult.
LPGA TOUR: Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand shot 3-under 68 to lead the Evian Championship second round in EvianLes-Bains, France on Saturday, and could join her younger sister Ariya in golf’s record book. Seeking to be the first sisters to win a major title, Moriya’s 9-under total left her one shot ahead of Ayako Uehara of Japan, who had seven birdies in her round of 66.
The leading group on Sunday is completed by Katherine Kirk of Australia, who carded a 69 to trail Moriya by two strokes. All three playing partners will seek their first major.
Victory for Moriya — who has a career-best finish of 10th at a major — would make the Jutanugarns the first sisters to win a major since the U.S. LPGA Tour was founded 67 years ago.
EUROPEAN TOUR: Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand birdied his last hole to card 5-under-par 66 and take the lead after the third round of the KLM Open in Spijk, Netherlands on Saturday. Kiradech birdied four of his first eight holes and went around in regulation pars until his final-hole birdie. His 14-under total gave him a one-shot lead over Romain Wattel of France, who posted a 7-under 64 to move to 13 under.
WEB.COM TOUR: Tyler Duncan shot a 3-under 68 to increase his lead to two strokes Saturday in the Albertsons Boise Open in Boise, Idaho, the second of four Web.com Tour Finals events that will determine 25 PGA Tour cards.
CHAMPIONS TOUR: Australia’s David McKenzie shot a 7-under-par 64 to move into a tie atop the leaderboard on Saturday after two rounds of the Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship in Victoria, British Columbia.