MEXICO CITY — Gary Woodland didn’t let a double bogey spoil his day as he shot a five-under 66 to maintain his one-shot lead at the PGA Tour’s OHL Classic at Mayakoba Saturday.
The 32-year-old American was bogey free for the tournament before hitting a poor tee shot on the 15th en route to a double bogey five at the El Camaleon golf Club in Playa de Carmen, Mexico.
Woodland followed the double bogey with three straight pars for a 54-hole total of 18-under 195. He has a one shot lead over Pat Perez.
“I played beautifully all day, just hit the one bad shot,” said Woodland.
Perez recorded eight birdies and an eagle in a superb 62 for one of the best rounds of the year.
Scott Piercy birdied five of the first eight holes on his way to a 66 and was two shots back in third. It was a further stroke back to Seamus Power of Ireland, who had a bogey-free 64. Former US Open winner Webb Simpson was in fifth place following a 69.
Chez Reavie eagled the 13th hole and finished in 63 and was five back in a tie for sixth with Russell Knox of Scotland (67), Jason Bohn (66), and Luke List (66).
Defending champion Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland, who opened with a 75 but stormed back to make the cut by one stroke with a 65, shot a second straight 65 and was tied for 32nd.
Ernst grabs lead
Austin Ernst fired a bogey-free five-under par 65 on Saturday to seize a one-stroke lead in the LPGA Lorena Ochoa Invitational going into the final round.
With two birdies on the front nine and three on the back at Club de Golf Mexico in Mexico City Ernst built a 54-hole total of 10-under 206 and jumped in front of overnight leader Sarah Jane Smith of Australia and Spain’s Carlota Ciganda.
Smith, seeking a maiden LPGA title, had three bogeys and three birdies in an even par 72 for 207.
She was joined by Ciganda, who had shared the first-round lead with Smith, dropped back slightly on Friday and rebounded with a 68 that included six birdies and two bogeys.
France’s Karine Icher (70), American Angela Stanford (69) and South Korea Hur Mi-Jung (71) were a further stroke back on 208.
Chawrasia wins in Manila
S.S.P Chawrasia won his first Asian Tour title outside of India Sunday in a thrilling finale to the Manila Masters golf tournament, hitting a birdie to win a three-way playoff.
The 38-year-old hit a six-under in the final round to finish at 19 under alongside Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung and Sam Chien of the United States.
But it was Chawrasia, who had won four titles on the Asian Tour in his home country but none abroad, who managed his nerves the best in the extra holes.
Fung went out in the first extra hole with a bogey.
Then Chien hit his drive into the rough on the second playoff, while Chawrasia played flawless golf with his birdie.
Chawrasia won $180,000 to lift himself to seventh on the Asian Tour standings, while Chien was left to lament his rush of blood that led to his wayward tee shot on the second playoff hole.
Overnight leader Sutijet Kooratanapisan finished in equal seventh after carding a one-under 71.
India’s Shubhankar Sharma was the other star of the final day, hitting a course record 10-under 62 to end in equal second place, one shot behind the leading trio.
