Purdy birdies way to the top of the Michelin Championship leaderboard
LAS VEGAS (AP) – Ted Purdy birdied his first four holes and finished with a 7-under 65 in windy conditions Saturday to take a two-stroke lead in the Michelin Championship. Purdy’s second consecutive 65 moved him to 18-under 197 through three rounds. He won the Byron Nelson Championship this year for his first PGA Tour title.
Steve Lowery shot a 64 to move into a second-place tie with Charles Howell III (67) and Harrison Frazar (68).
The gusting wind took its toll on some of the other players, with the relatively easy TPC at Summerlin course suddenly turning into a challenge.
Briny Baird, ahead by one shot after the first round and up by two heading into the third day, struggled mightily. His round included a quadruple-bogey 8 on No. 12 as he ballooned to a 78 that left him tied for 43rd at 9 under.
Administaff Small Business Classic
SPRING, Texas – Brad Bryant shot his second straight 6-under 66 to take a 2-stroke lead over six players Administaff Small Business Classic.
The 50-year-old Bryant birdied seven of the first 13 holes on the Augusta Pines course and had his lone bogey on No. 15. He has four top-10 finishes in 20 events on the Champions Tour, including a third-place tie in August in Washington, but had not topped a leaderboard until Saturday.
Madrid Open
MADRID, Spain – France’s Raphael Jacquelin shot his third straight 7-under 64 to take a seven-stroke lead into the final round of the Madrid Open.
Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke (68) and Portugal’s Jose-Filipe Lima (67) were tied for second.