Johnson, Landry share one-stroke Texas Open lead
Zach Johnson birdied the par-5 18th Saturday at the Texas Open for a share of the third-round lead with Andrew Landry, a stroke ahead of record-setting Trey Mullinax.
Johnson shot a 4-under 68, holing a 10-footer on 18 to match Landry at 13-under 203 at TPC San Antonio’s AT&T Oaks. Landry birdied the 16th and 17th in a 67.
Johnson won the event in 2008 and 2009, the last two times it was played at LaCantera. The 42-year-old Iowan is trying to win for the first time since the 2015 British Open.
“I’ve got 18 holes to get to that point,” Johnson said. “I’ve got to do exactly what I did on the back side and that was give myself opportunities on every hole. I’m putting great, I’m seeing the lines well, my caddie’s reading the greens well, so it’s just a matter of committing and executing down the stretch.”
The 30-year-old Landry is winless on the tour.
Mullinax had a course-record 62. He played the back nine in 7-under 29, going 6 under on the last five with eagles on the par-5 14th and 18th and birdies on 16 and 17. He also birdied Nos. 10 and 12 and bogeyed 11.
“It’s probably one of the best rounds I’ve ever had,” Mullinax said.
Johnson played the front nine in even par with two birdies and two bogeys. He birdied Nos. 11, 14, 15 and 18 on the back nine. “Different wind today early on, misjudged some numbers, misjudged some wind, made some bad swings, all of the above,” Johnson said. “But truthfully, my short game was actually pretty good, my putting was great.”
Landry had a bogey-free round. “I just did everything really good,” he said.
Ryan Moore was two strokes back at 11 under after a 70. Sean O’Hair had a 65 to join 2015 champion Jimmy Walker (67), Chris Kirk (68) and 2013 winner Martin Laird (69) at 9 under.
Mullinax has made 42 of 44 putts from inside 10 feet this week. The 25-year-old former Alabama player chipped in for the eagle on 14 and the birdie on the par-3 16th.
LPGA: Moriya Jutanugarn took a one-shot lead into the weekend at the LA Open in her latest bid to join younger sister Ariya as an LPGA Tour winner. Moriya shot a bogeyfree 5-under 66 Friday at Wilshire Country Club to get to 8-under 134 in the LPGA’s first event in Los Angeles since 2005.
The 23-year-old from Thailand hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation. She started fast with birdies on the par-5 second, par-4 third and par-3 fourth and added two more on the par-4 11th and par-5 13th. Marina Alex was second after a 68.
Champions: Defending champions Vijay Singh and Carlos Franco took the third- round lead Saturday in the windy Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf in Ridgedale, Mo.
Singh and Franco shot a 7-under 47 in wind gusting to 20 mph on the Top of the Rock par-3 course to get to 19-under 145, a stroke ahead of the teams of David Toms-Steve Flesch and Paul Broadhurst-Kirk Triplett. Singh and Franco are trying to become the first to successfully defend a title since Jim Colbert and Andy North in 2001.