Rahm, Smith are tied for the lead in The Northern Trust
Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith were tied for the lead Saturday in The Northern Trust, and neither could have imagined how they got there.
Smith had never shot better than 62 — twice this year on the PGA Tour, once at his home club in Brisbane, Australia — when he stood over a 12-foot putt on the 18th hole at Liberty National for a chance at the 13th sub-60 round on the PGA Tour.
He missed and had to settle for the course record at 11-under 60, and figured that would at least keep him in range of the world’s No. 1 player.
“Jon is playing some pretty good at the minute, so we’ve got to try to catch up,” Smith said. Thanks to Rahm, he did. The U.S. Open champion ran off four birdies in a sixhole stretch around the turn to regain the lead and had good scoring chances ahead of him. But he twice hit into the water on the second- and third-easiest holes, dropped a combined three shots and had to rally for a 67.
They were at 16-under 197 and now get a day off because of Hurricane Henri. The PGA Tour looked at the path, and there was enough rain and dangerous wind on the edges of the storm that they decided to close Liberty National today. The final round will be Monday.
Rahm and Smith were one shot ahead of Erik van Rooyen. Justin Thomas (67) and Tony Finau (68) were three shots behind.
LPGA Tour
Anna Nordqvist and Nanna Koerstz Madsen share the lead heading into the final round of the Women’s British Open.
A bunched-up chasing pack, containing Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson, promises to make it a Sunday to remember at Carnoustie.
In the toughest conditions of the week on the storied Scottish links, Nordqvist — a two-time major champion — shot her lowest round in one of women’s golf’s five elite events with a bogey-free, 7-under 65.
Koerstz Madsen, with just one top-10 finish in a major, shot a 68 to join Nordqvist at 9 under overall. They were a stroke ahead of Lizette Salas of the United States.
PGA Tour Champions
Woody Austin birdied the par-5 18th for a 4-under 68 and a one-stroke lead over Jim Furyk (67) and Colin Montgomerie (67) in the Boeing Classic. The 57-year-old Austin took a 10-under 134 total into the final round at Snoqualmie Ridge.