Watson stumbles at Travelers
Poor finish creates 3-way tie
CROMWELL, Conn. — Bubba Watson made three bogeys in his last six holes Saturday to help create a three-way tie after three rounds at the Travelers Championship.
Watson, Graham DeLaet, who tied for the low round of the day with a 65, and Charley Hoffman were all at 10 under par heading into Sunday’s final round at the TPC of River Highlands. Watson shot an even-par 70.
Justin Rose, less than a week after his U.S. Open victory, is 7 under par and in a tie for seventh place after a second straight 68.
Watson made three birdies on his opening nine holes and was ahead by four shots after the third. But bogeys on Nos. 13, 15 and 17 brought the 2011 Masters champion back to the field.
Watson, who won the 2010 Travelers, is trying to become the seventh player to win this event at least twice. Arnold Palmer and Phil Mickelson have also done it.
After shooting a 61 in the opening round, Hoffman struggled and shot 73 on Friday.
But he bounced back with a 66 on Saturday.
DeLaet is playing this week in New England but many of his thoughts are about his native Canada. The heavy rain and flooding in Alberta forced the PGA Tour Canada to cancel its event this week.
DeLaet, the 2009 Canadian Tour player of the year, has pledged to donate $1,000 for every birdie he makes this weekend and $2,500 for every eagle to help the relief effort.
“It’s a pretty small part, what we’re doing, but anything helps,” DeLaet said.
OTHER TOURNAMENTS
Encompass Championship at Glenview, Ill.: Craig Stadler grabbed the outright lead, birdieing three of the four par-5s in a 7-under 65 that put him two shots ahead of Bob Tway and Jeff Sluman in the Champions Tour event.
Stadler’s second round left him at 12-under 132. Tway also scored 65 and Sluman had 66 that included eight birdies and two bogeys.
LPGA NW Arkansas Championship at Rogers, Ark.: Stacy Lewis gave her vocal gallery something to cheer about.
Lewis made four straight birdies and eight overall to shoot a 6-under 65 and join a group of four players atop the leader board at 10 under after the second round at Pinnacle Country Club.
Lewis, the world’s No. 2 player, earned an unofficial win at the rain-shortened event as an amateur in 2007. She is the local favorite this week, having played collegiately at Arkansas.
BMW I nternational Championship at Munich: Frenchman Alexander Levy overcame two bogeys to shoot a 4-under 68 in the third round to pull into a three-way tie with Ernie Els of South Africa and Sweden’s Alex Noren atop the leader board.
The trio was even at 15-under 201 heading into Sunday’s final round. Bubba Watson chips out of a bunker on the 17th hole during the third round of the Travelers Championship. It was one of three bogeys for Watson over the last six holes.