PGA Tour rookie Luke Guthrie and Michael Thompson survived the chilly, blustery conditions and shared the third-round lead Saturday at the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
With wind making the course play longer and the water look even more daunting, Guthrie held on for a 1-over 71 in his first time on tour playing in the last group. The 22-year-old from Illinois closed with eight good pars. Thompson narrowly missed a 20-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th hole for a 70.
They were at 8-under 202, and will need to buckle down for what figures to be a wide open final round.
Lee Westwood chipped for an unlikely birdie on the 14th hole, made a 20-foot birdie on the 17th and salvaged a par despite hitting 3-wood into the water on the final hole for a 70 that left him only two shots behind.
Geoff Ogilvy also had to work hard for a 70, starting with three bogeys on the first four holes. He made a 7-foot birdie putt on the 18th to join Westwood at 202.
Missing from the mix was Tiger Woods.
Woods had a 32 on the front nine. But he didn’t make another birdie the rest of the way, and took a double bogey on the par-3 17th when his shot plugged into the bank short of the green and he never found the ball. He had a 70 and was eight shots back.
PUTNAMS IN WEB.COM MIX
Former UCLA standout Patrick Cantlay shot a 6-under 65 to tie Jim Renner (66) for the lead at 13-under 200 after third round of the Web.com Tour’s Colombia Championship in Bogota. The pair were two shots better than Shane Bertsch (67).
University Place brothers Michael and Andrew Putnam remained close to the leaders. Michael Putnam (68) was tied for seventh at 8-under 205. Andrew (70) was tied for 16th another two shots back.
LEWIS TIED FOR FIRST
Stacy Lewis shared the lead with Na Yeon Choi at the HSBC Women’s Champions in Singapore after the South Korean birdied the 18th hole in a rain-delayed third round.
Choi shot a 5-under 67 to tie the 28-year-old Lewis (69) at 14-under 202. Paula Creamer shot 69 to trail the leaders by two shots.
FOUR SHARE EURO LEAD
Darren Fichardt stormed into a four-way share of the lead with an 8-under-par 64 in the third round of the European Tour’s Tshwane Open in Centurion, South Africa. Fichardt was at 16-under total with Chilean Mark Tullo (67) and fellow South Africans Charl Coetzee (68) and Dawie Van Der Walt (67).
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