Spencer Levin defied difficult windy conditions to post a three-under par 69 on Saturday to take the third-round lead of the USPGA Tour’s $6.2 million Memorial tournament. Levin, seeking a first tour victory, had a 54-hole total of eight-under par 208, one shot in front of overnight leader Rory Sabbatini, who posted a one-under par 71 for 209. Rickie Fowler carded a three-under 69 to rise to third on 211, with 14-time major champion Tiger Woods alone in fourth after a one-over 73 for 212.
Woods got off to a solid start, with two birdies on the front nine at Muirfield Village. But Woods struggled coming in, making the last of his four bogeys at the par-four 18th.
“I got a little tired at the end, but so be it,” Woods said. “I had my opportunities to move up that board and I didn’t do it.
“I’m still in the ballgame,” added Woods, a four-time Memorial winner. “I need to grind it out and obviously post a good number (on Sunday).” Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa carded a 71 to lead a trio on 213 that also included Sweden’s Henrik Stenson (71) and Jonathan Byrd (72). Ishikawa used a local caddie and nabbed four birdies on the back nine, including three in a row from the 12th, to climb up the leaderboard.
Veteran Vijay Singh of Fiji had the other 69 and was in a group at 214. Levin chipped in for an eagle at the par-five fifth and for a birdie, as he posted one of just three rounds in the 60s in the blustery weather.
His round put him in position to challenge again for his first tour title. He had a six-shot lead after three rounds in Phoenix earlier this year but carded a final-round 75 to finish third behind winner Kyle Stanley.
Levin said Sunday’s round will show just what he took away from his Phoenix experience. “People have been asking me that question, and I don’t know yet,” Levin said. “I’ll be able to answer that tomorrow.”
Levin got his round going early, draining a 35-foot birdie putt at the second hole. He holed out from behind the green for eagle at the fifth, and holed out again for a birdie at the 10th, where his second shot was short. Levin slipped back a bit with two bogeys coming in, leaving himself with a slim lead and a wealth of well-known names within striking distance.
His nearest six rivals have either major titles, US PGA Tour titles or Presidents Cup experience to their credit. “Four shots is definitely manageable around this golf course, considering the conditions and what they’re going to be tomorrow,” Woods said. “A lot of guys are still in this ballgame. It’ll be an exciting day tomorrow.”
Tie at top in final round of Wales Open: The Wales Open was poised for an exciting finish after Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee and Dutchman Joost Luiten were left sharing the lead after six holes of the final round at a wet and windy Celtic Manor. England’s Ross Fisher moved alongside overnight leader Jaidee when he chipped to a foot on the second hole on Sunday, but the former Ryder Cup player – who was part of the team that won in thrilling fashion here two years ago – bogeyed the fourth and three-putted the sixth for another dropped shot. Jaidee also bogeyed the fourth after his approach shot landed in a bunker, while Luiten gained ground as a result of six straight pars. Fisher was joined in third place, only one behind on five under par, when Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn reached the turn in a three-under 33.
Lewis builds commanding LPGA lead: Stacy Lewis carded a second-straight six-under par 65 on Saturday to seize a six-shot lead going into the final round of the LPGA ShopRite Classic. Lewis, who shared the overnight lead with Japan’s Mika Miyazato, had eight birdies to off-set a double-bogey six at the sixth hole. Her 36-hole total of 12-under par 130 matched the tournament record set by Amy Benz in 1996 and matched by Denise Killeen in 2004.
Lewis had a comfortable cushion in the 54-hole event over Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist, who posted a four-under 67 for 136. Nordqvist’s six birdies included three in a row from the 11th. Paula Creamer and So Yeon Ryu, the last two winners of the US women’s Open, were in a group on 137.
Ryu carded a 67 on the Bay Course at the Seaview resort, while Creamer posted a 70. They were joined at five-under by Australian Katherine Hull, who posted a 66 and Spain’s Azahara Munoz, who carded a 68.
World number one Yani Tseng was in a quartet of players on 138. The Taiwanese star, winner of the three tournaments already this season, carded a 67 and was tied with South Korea’s Hee-Won Han (67), Colombia’s Mariajo Uribe (71) and Miyazato, who slipped back with a two-over 73. Tseng teed off on 10 and made a move with four straight birdies around the turn, starting at 18 and continuing at the first, second and third holes. Her charge stalled with bogeys at four and seven, but she capped her round with a birdie on the par-five ninth. Lewis, who led going into the final round en route to a victory in April in Mobile, Alabama, said this time around she purposely avoided checking the leaderboards. The golfer said she felt she played more cautiously from in front in Alabama.
“I took so much from Mobile,” Lewis said. “I had a couple-shot lead, but then I think at the turn, I had a five-shot lead and I made the mistake of playing safe, and not really staying into my game and what I was doing. I was worrying about what other people were doing, watching the leaderboard.
“So today, out there, I made the turn and had a two-shot lead and kind of told myself let’s see how big we can get this.” Lewis, who birdied three of the first five holes, came unstuck at the sixth, where she drove into the brush and finished with a three-putt double-bogey. She responded with five more birdies, including one at the par-five finishing hole. “I probably should have hit a three-wood off the tee,” Lewis said of the sixth. “I was worried about my driver going through the fairway, so I kind of laid off the driver and hit it into the brush, chipped out and then had an ugly three-putt. But from then on, my caddie told me, ‘when you hit a bad shot, we’ve got to slow down, you’ve got to get back to what you’re doing.’ And I did that the rest of the way.”