MEMPHIS — Spaniard Rafa Cabrera Bello chipped in on successive holes on his way to a five-under 65 and a share of the lead after the third round at the St. Jude Classic here Saturday.
Americans Stewart Cink (69) and Ben Crane (68) joined Cabrera Bello at the top on a crowded leaderboard, with eight players bunched within two strokes with one round left at TPC Southwind.
There is never a bad time to chip in, but Cabrera Bello’s first hole-out, from 50 feet at the par-five third, steadied the ship after a morale-sapping bogey at the first.
“The chip-in for sure took the pressure off the round a little bit and helped me find my game,” said Cabrera Bello, who subsequently holed out from 30 feet at the par-three fourth and then completed a hat-trick of birdies by sinking a 20-foot putt at the next.
Cabrera Bello, in his first season as a PGA Tour member, observed that course conditions often changed drastically during tournament week.
“It’s like a live creature and it changes,” the world No. 30 said colorfully.
Former British Open champion Cink had a tale of two halves, a strong front nine giving way to a two-over back nine that included three bogeys.
But he did enough to join the log-jam atop the leaderboard at nine-under 201, as did Crane, the 2014 champion, who had two birdies in a bogey-free round.
Americans Chad Campbell and Luke List trailed by one stroke, while South African Charl Schwartzel, who had a share of the halfway lead, regressed with a 74 to fall four strokes off the pace.
Five-time major winner Phil Mickelson also fell four back after slicing his tee shot into a water hazard for a closing double-bogey, while former world number one Adam Scott trailed by five.
Thompson leads by one
Long-hitting Lexi Thompson sank a 12-foot birdie putt at the final hole to earn a one-shot lead over fellow American Lindy Duncan after the third round at the Manulife LPGA Classic in Cambridge, Ontario, Saturday.
Thompson carded a bogey-free five-under-par 67 on the Whistle Bear course to edge closer to a second victory of the year on the LPGA circuit.
She posted a 17-under 199 total with one round left, while Duncan also shot 67 to move into second place alone on 16-under.
Duncan has never had a top-10 finish on the LPGA.
South Korean Chun In-gee carded 68 to trail by two strokes, while Thai world number two Ariya Jutanugarn had the day’s best score, a 65, to jump within three shots with Canadian halfway co-leader Alena Sharp (70).
Thompson, 22, made headlines at the ANA Inspiration major two months ago, when she was penalised four strokes after it came to light she had mismarked her ball on a green during the third round.
She was docked two strokes for the infraction, and two more because she had signed an incorrect scorecard before the incident was brought to the attention of officials.
Thompson subsequently lost in a playoff, and her situation aroused sympathy with many golf fans, though not so much with insiders. — Reuters
