FORT WORTH, Texas — Jason Dufner matched playing partner Zach Johnson’s birdie putt on the 17th hole Saturday, then overcame a wayward final tee shot to save par and keep the lead at the Colonial.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Jason Dufner matched playing partner Zach Johnson’s birdie putt on the 17th hole Saturday, then overcame a wayward final tee shot to save par and keep the lead at the Colonial.
Slowed by two late bogeys, Dufner shot a 4-under 66 in the third round for a 15-under 195 total.
That put him a stroke ahead of Johnson, who shot 65 to set up what could basically be a match-play final group Sunday for the winner’s plaid jacket. Tom Gillis was a distant third at 7 under after a 69.
Dufner, the winner last week in the Byron Nelson Championship about 30 miles away, is trying to win for the third time in five weeks. He also is trying to do something only Ben Hogan has done.
Hogan, Dufner’s hero, is the only player to win both PGA Tour events in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in the same year. When he did it in 1946, they weren’t played in consecutive weeks.
The last player to win in consecutive weeks on the PGA Tour was Tiger Woods in 2009. Nobody won more than two tournaments last season.
Chapman leads Senior PGA by five strokes
BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — Roger Chapman shot a 7-under 64 to take a five-stroke lead into the final round of the Senior PGA Championship.
Chapman finished the day at 14 under par. John Cook began the round tied with Chapman for the lead but couldn’t keep pace with the Englishman and settled for a 69 to drop into second place at Harbor Shores.
Chapman’s 54-hole score of 199 tied the tournament record set by Sam Snead in 1973, although Snead was 17 under when he set the mark.
Steve Pate had a 67 to join 66-year-old Hale Irwin at 7 under. Irwin made a triple bogey on the par-3 fourth but played well on the back nine and shot 69.
Chapman beat Padraig Harrington in a playoff to win a European Tour event in Brazil in 2000, and that’s pretty much the highlight of his resume. He has never won on the Champions Tour. He made the cut in all 11 of his Champions Tour starts last year but didn’t have a top-10 finish.
Donald moves
closer to world No. 1
VIRGINIA WATER, England — Defending champion Luke Donald remained in position to regain the top spot in the world ranking, shooting a 3-under 69 to take a two-stroke lead in the BMW PGA Championship.
The Englishman overcame windy conditions at Wentworth on a day when only three players broke 70, and Ernie Els criticized European Tour officials for the state of the greens on the course he redesigned.
Donald had an 11-under 205 total. He needs to finish solo eighth or better to reclaim the No. 1 position from Rory McIlroy. McIlroy missed the cut.
England’s Justin Rose was second after a 69.