Both at under-17 after 3 rounds
LAS VEGAS (AP) ― Nick Watney shot a 7-under 64 on Saturday for a share of the third-round lead with Kevin Na in the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
Watney, a two-time winner this year, birdied the final three holes and five of the last six at TPC Summerlin to match Na at 17 under in the Fall Series opener. Na followed his second-round 63 with a 66.
“I’m trying to keep it really simple,” Watney said. “I’ve driven the ball pretty well and it’s just been fairly easy to hit quite a bit of greens. I think that’s what you need to do out here is give yourself as many chances as possible. I’ve been able to do that so far. This course is right out there in front of you. It’s fairly short for Tour standards, so it’s just about execution.”
He won the WGC-Cadillac Championship in March and the AT&T National in July.
Robert Garrigus (63) and Kris Blanks (66) were a stroke back, and Tommy Gainey (64), Paul Goydos (66) and Tim Herron (67) followed at 15 under.
Na, tied for the lead with Jhonattan Vegas and Charlie Wi after the second round, played the front nine in 4 under with five birdies and a bogey, and added a birdie on the par-5 16th to reach 17 under.
“I got off to a really good start on the front nine, made five birdies,” Na said. “I felt like I could go real low with a bunch of birdie holes on the back. Unfortunately, I slowed down a bit and missed a few short ones. But to finish 5-under for the day, I was pretty pleased.”
Robert Garrigus had nine birdies and a bogey in his 63. Hospitalized for dehydration on Monday in Phoenix, Garrigus opened the round with four straight birdies, then birdied three of the last four.
“I started off on fire,” he said. “It was just one of those days when everything was going in early, and I knew if I could sprinkle in some (birdies) late it would be a really good day, and it ended up being nice.”
Vegas (69), Roland Thatcher (63), Spencer Levin (64) and Carl Pettersson (66) were 14 under.
The 36-hole cut came at 4-under 138, with 80 players advancing. Because more than 78 players made the cut, there was a secondary cut at 4-under 209 after the third round to the low 70 players and ties.
The 4-under cut tied for the lowest on the PGA Tour this season with the Travelers Championship, John Deere Classic, Viking Classic and The Barclays.
Fran Quinn was the only player left on the course when play was suspended due to darkness Friday. He came back Saturday morning and made a 14-foot birdie putt for a 67 to make the cut. He shot a 76 in the third round to drop out of the tournament.
Dunhill Links Championship
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) ― Michael Hoey moved closer to giving Northern Ireland another big golf victory, taking a three-shot lead Saturday after three rounds of the Dunhill Links Championship.
Hoey built on the second-round lead he shared with England’s Tommy Fleetwood. He shot a 6-under 66 at Carnoustie that put him at 18-under 198 in the $5 million tournament.
Northern Irishmen Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy ― winners of the last two U.S. Opens ― were in pursuit. McDowell had a third straight 67 and is in second place at 15 under.
“My short game was unbelievable, the best it’s ever been,” Hoey said. “I’m definitely getting all the breaks as well. Everything has just gone my way so far.”
It wasn’t all good news for the Northern Irish, however, with British Open champion Darren Clarke missing the cut at 5 under after a 70 left him 1 over.
Fifth-ranked Dustin Johnson of the United States ― second behind Clarke at Royal St. George’s ― was the other high-profile name not to make Sunday’s round after a 70 at St. Andrews left him 2 under.
