FORT WORTH, TEXAS (AP) - Matt Kuchar made a 12-foot birdie putt at the 16th hole, the same place where his long Saturday at Colonial began, and led four players by a stroke after three rounds.
Kuchar had a 1-under 69 that included some near misses and two nice par-savers to close his round to get to 11-under 199. Graham DeLaet, Boo Weekley, Chris Stroud and Matt Every were tied for second.
When the second round was suspended Friday night because of an approaching storm, Kuchar _ WGC-Accenture Match Play in February _ had just hit his tee shot at the par-3 16th. He resumed there at 7:13 a.m. Saturday with a two-putt from about 40 feet. That was part of three quick pars to keep his one-stroke lead after two rounds, and he then played in the final group that finished just after 5 p.m.
After his go-ahead stroke in the third round at No. 16 _ he had fallen behind by two strokes during the round _ Kuchar’s approach shot at the 379-yard 17th landed in a greenside bunker and he blasted from there to 13 feet and saved par. At the 414-yard 18th, Kuchar hooked his tee shot into the left rough and found tall grass near the green with his second shot before pitching to 3 feet.
Weekly and Every shot 66. Stroud had a 67, and DeLaet, playing with Kuchar, had three back-nine bogeys before a birdie at No. 18 for a 69.
SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
ST. LOUIS (AP) _ Kenny Perry had an eagle, five birdies and four bogeys, mixing spectacular shots with stumbles and doing enough of the right things for a 3-under 68 and a two-stroke lead after the third round of the Senior PGA Championship.
The 52-year-old Perry is close to an elusive first major championship in a career known more agonizing almosts in the 2008 Masters and 1996 PGA than his 16 total tournament victories and $34 million in winnings. He was at 10 under overall at Bellerive Country Club, which held up fine after a rain delay of more than two hours before the last twosome of Perry and Russ Cochran teed off.
Two-time champion Jay Haas was second after closing with a pair of birdies for a 67. Cochran was three strokes back after rallying for two birdies on the back nine for an even-par 71.
Perry had a two-shot lead with two holes to go in the 2008 Masters, but lost in a playoff to Angel Cabrera. The Kentucky player had a late lead and lost it in the 1996 PGA, losing in a playoff to Mark Brooks.
BAHAMAS LPGA CLASSIC
PARADISE ISLANDS, Bahamas (AP) _ Paola Moreno of Colombia played another bogey-free round on a 12-hole golf course to take the lead in the Bahamas LPGA Classic.
Playing in the final group, with the sun setting over the ocean along the eighth fairway, Moreno handled the wind and increasing darkness to make a simple par for a 4-under 41 and 9-under 81 total. That gave her a one-shot lead over Lindsey Wright, who had seven birdies for a 38. Cristie Kerr was among 10 players within three shots of the lead, though they won’t have as many holes to make up ground.
Because of flooding on the Ocean Club earlier in the week, the tournament is three rounds of 12 holes. The goal is to get in 36 holes by Sunday to make it official.
BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
VIRGINIA WATER, England (AP) _ Spain’s Alejandro Canizares shot a 4-under 68 at Wentworth to take a one-stroke lead over England’s Lee Westwood after the third round of the BMW PGA Championship.
Canizares birdied the final two holes to reach 9 under. Westwood had a 67.
Italy’s Matteo Manassero and Scotland’s Marc Warren were 7 under. Manassero shot 69, and Warren had a 70.
Sergio Garcia, the Spanish player whose verbal sparring with Tiger Woods turned ugly this week when he said he would “serve fried chicken” if he had dinner with Woods, was four strokes back after a 68.
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