SAN ANTONIO — American Ricky Barnes, a former US amateur champion seeking his first PGA Tour victory, birdied four of the last eight holes to grab a one-shot lead after the third round of the Texas Open in San Antonio Saturday.
Though he bogeyed the par-five 18th after pulling his tee shot left into tall grass, Barnes delivered a superb exhibition of pinpoint approach play for most of the day as he fired a five-under-par 67 on the Oaks layout at TPC San Antonio.
Playing his eighth full-time season on the PGA Tour, Barnes posted an 11-under total of 205 to end the round a stroke in front of his compatriot Brendan Steele, the 36-hole leader who slipped off the pace as he ground out a 72.
American Charley Hoffman, bidding for his fourth win on the US circuit, carded an adventurous 70 on a sun-splashed afternoon to finish at nine-under, level with England’s Luke Donald (68).
Barnes, ranked 262nd in the world, has made 221 starts on the PGA Tour without winning, his best finish a tie for second at the 2009 US Open where he led after 54 holes.
Nomura maintains lead
In Los Angeles, Japan’s Haru Nomura maintained her three-shot lead in the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic Saturday, firing a one-under par 71 in the third round in San Francisco.
On another breezy day, Nomura had three birdies and two bogeys to build a 54-hole total of 10-under 206.
Nomura found 11 of 14 fairways as she maintained the lead she held overnight. She reached 11-under after a birdie at the 10th hole but gave back a shot with a bogey at 12 before finishing with six consecutive pars.
South Africa’s Lee-Anne Pace and South Korean Choi Na-Yeon shared second on 209 and Choi signing for a 71.
Two-time defending champion Lydia Ko was unable to make a move, carding a one-over 73 to finish the day tied for eighth at four-under 212 with Australian Min-Jee Lee (74).
Pace and Choi were followed by a group of five players on five-under 211 — Canadian Brooke Henderson, Scotland’s Catriona Matthew, South Korean Ryu So-yeon and American Gerina Piller.
Ryu led after the first round and had a share of second on Friday, but fell back with a 73. Henderson carded a 69, Matthew a 71 and Piller 72.
Three share lead in Shenzhen
South Korea’s Lee Soomin, France’s Alexander Levy and Lee Slattery from England shared the lead Sunday as the storm-hit Shenzhen International went into a fifth day at Genzon Golf Club.
After more than six-and-a-half hours were lost on days one and two due to thunderstorms, another extended break Sunday meant the final round could not be completed.
The stage is now set for a shootout Monday at the course in southern China’s Guangdong province.
Lee, Levy and Slattery were all 14 under on the back nine when play was stopped due to darkness, the European Tour reported on its website.
Lee and Slattery had completed 13 holes and Levy faces a birdie putt on the 13th green when play gets under way again at 6.30 a.m. — Agencies
