SHANGHAI (AP) - Francesco Molinari holed out for eagle from the 13th fairway, matched the lowest score of the third round and still had to make a 10-foot birdie putt on the last hole to keep the lead over top-ranked Lee Westwood in the HSBC Champions on Saturday.
Westwood looked as if he might finally catch up when he chipped from just off the green on the par-5 18th to tap-in range for birdie and a 5-under 67. Molinari, who had to lay up on the hole, knocked in his putt from the back of the green for a 67.
They have been separated by one shot after every round, and the duel figures to be settled Sunday at Sheshan International. Molinari was at 14-under 202.
England's Luke Donald (68) was four strokes back.
Tiger Woods hooked his tee shot into the water on the par-5 second hole for the second straight day, and his back-to-back bogeys early in the round stalled him. He shot a 73 and was 11 shots out of the lead.
Defending champion Phil Mickelson also took bogey on the second hole, his from the trees, and shot a 76 to fall back to even-par 216. PGA champion Martin Kaymer had a 74 and was at 1-under 215.
Padraig Harrington had the shot of the tournament, holing a fairway metal for an albatross on the par-5 14th hole. He dropped two shots after that, finishing with a 70 to reach 6 under.
Charles Schwab Cup Championship
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Michael Allen shot a course-record 10-under 61 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over defending champion John Cook in the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
The 51-year-old Allen had 10 birdies, the last on the par-4 18th, in his bogey-free round at Harding Park for the lowest round of his career. He also matched the best round of the year on the Champions Tour.
The 2009 Senior PGA Championship winner had a 14-under 199 total.
Cook, the winner last year at Sonoma Golf Club, shot a 67.
David Frost (65) was two back at 12 under. Schwab Cup points leader Bernhard Langer (67), Russ Cochran (68) and Tom Lehman (69) were 10 under. Fred Couples (70) was 5 under, all but ending his chances of catching Langer in the two-man Schwab Cup race for the $1 million annuity. If Couples rallies to win Sunday, Langer would still take the top prize with a two-way tie for fourth or better.
Mizuno Classic
SHIMA, Japan (AP) - Top-ranked Jiyai Shin won the Mizuno Classic on Sunday for her second LPGA Tour victory of the season and eighth overall, closing with a 5-under 67 for a two-stroke victory over Yani Tseng.
Shin finished at 18 under after opening with rounds of 65 and 66 on the Kintetsu Kashikojima course. The South Korean star, also the 2008 tournament winner, earned $180,000 to increase her season total to $1,779,768 and pull within $3,535 of leader Na Yeon Choi with two events left.
Tseng, from Taiwan, shot a 66.
Stacy Lewis (68) was third at 15 under, Miki Saiki (70) was 12 under, and Choi (68), Brittany Lincicome (65) and Mika Miyazato (68) followed at 11 under.
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment