Rain doesn’t halt Kuchar, keeps Colonial lead

Matt Kuchar watches his tee shot on the second hole during the third round of the Colonial golf tournament Saturday, May 25, 2013, in Fort Worth, Texas.  (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Matt Kuchar watches his tee shot on the second hole during the third round of the Colonial golf tournament Saturday, May 25, 2013, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

FORT WORTH - Matt Kuchar got up early Saturday morning, made three quick pars to keep his second-round lead at Colonial and then went back to the hotel for a short break.

Kuchar’s final three pars wrapped up his second consecutive 5-under-par 65 at Hogan’s Alley in the rain-delayed event. His 10-under 130 put him a stroke ahead of Graham DeLaet.

Kuchar was among 54 players unable to finish the second round Friday night because play was suspended by an approaching storm, and after a weather delay of more than two hours earlier in the day.

“Perfect out this morning still,” Kuchar said. “It is a little bit awkward waking up at 5 a.m. and getting kind of a warm-up in the dark. You don’t always feel as comfy as you do in an afternoon one when you’ve gotten a proper warmup and you can see the golf ball and know what it’s doing.”

DeLaet shot a second-round 67, even with three consecutive bogeys. But the Canadian finished without interruption before the midday delay Friday, giving him a more leisurely Saturday morning before his scheduled third-round tee time with Kuchar in the final group early in the afternoon.

Kuchar had just hit his tee shot at the par-3 16th hole, and was on the green about 40 feet away from the cup, when play was stopped Friday night.

“Not the easiest position to leave, kind of a lot of break with some speed at the end,” said Kuchar, whose first stroke Saturday was a putt to about 4 feet.

His drive at No. 17 was in the right rough, just short of a bunker, but he got on the green safely from there and then finished with another par at the 445-yard 18th for a bogey-free round.

Kuchar has the 36-hole lead for the sixth time in his career. The last was at The Players Championship in 2012 that he won.

“Best place to be, right,” Kuchar said. “It’s just steady golf, nothing real special. Driving well, putting it well, approaches are good. … Kept myself out of trouble.”

Steve Flesch (64), 19-yearold Jordan Spieth (67) and Josh Teater (67) were all at 8 under. A stroke back were Chris Stroud (66), Chris Kirk (66) and Freddie Jacobson (67).

Flesch, the 2004 Colonial champion coming off right shoulder surgery last August, ended a streak of 16 consecutive missed cuts on the PGA Tour since October 2011.

First-round leader Ryan Palmer, the Colonial member who opened with a 62, was 10 shots worse in his second round and in a group of 11players tied for ninth at 134 that included Zach Johnson, the defending champion.

Palmer had birdied two of his previous three holes when he arrived to the tee at the par-3 13th Friday before play was stopped. But he bogeyed two of the six holes he had to play Saturday morning, three-putting from 28 feet at the 457-yard 14th hole and missing the fairway at No. 18.

Johnson, who also won the 2010 Colonial, had pars on his two holes Saturday morning to f inish a bogey-free 65.

Bryce Molder (Conway) shot a 1-under 69 on Saturday and is 4 under for the tournament, tied for 32nd place. Molder had four birdies and three bogeys in Saturday’s round.

Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) is 3 under for the tournament after a 73 on Saturday. Duke collected two birdies and five bogeys in Saturday’s round. He is tied for 40th place.

David Lingmerth (Arkansas Razorbacks) struggled with a 2-over 72 on Saturday and is at 2 under for the tournament, tied for 46th. Lingmerth had two birdies and four bogeys Saturday.

Needing four birdies in the final five holes of the suspended second round, John Daly (Dardanelle, Razorbacks) opted to withdraw from the tournament.

CHAMPIONS TOUR Perry up by two strokes

ST. LOUIS - 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 Saturday after the third round of the Senior PGA Championship.

Perry, 52, is close to an elusive first major championship in a career known almost as much for his agonizing loss in the 2008 Masters and 1996 PGA as his 16 total tournament victories and $34 million in winnings. He wasat 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, and Rod Spittle was four shots back after a 67.

LPGA TOUR Moreno in the lead

PARADISE ISLANDS, Bahamas - Paola Moreno is blocking out everything about this strange week except for the next shot. She wound up with another bogey-free round on the shortened course Saturday and took the lead into the final round of the Bahamas LPGA Classic.

Moreno made a couple of 25-foot birdie putts and added two more birdies for a 4-under 41. The Colombian had a one-shot lead over Lindsey Wright, who made seven birdies for a 7-under 38.

“I am just focused on what I can control right now,” said Moreno, who was at 9-under 81. “The only thing that matters right now is the first tee shot on No. 1 - or No. 10, whatever hole we’re playing tomorrow - and I’m just excited to be there.”

Cristie Kerr did enough to at least get in range. She was among 10 players within three shots of the lead, though they have six fewer holes to make up ground.

Because of severe flooding earlier in the week on the Ocean Club, the LPGA Tour is using the holes available. In this case, it’s a 12-hole course that starts on the back nine at No. 10, jumps over to the front nine for four holes that are out of order, heads over to a stretch on the back nine and finishes along the ocean at No. 8.

The final round goes from a par 45 to a par 47.

The par-5 18th hole is in good enough shape to be played as the closing hole, giving this inaugural event at least some semblance of normality. It will replace No. 4, which also is a par 5 but has been played as a par 3 because of a bunker caved in by the rain.

Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks) is at 4 under for the tournament, collecting three birdies and no bogeys in Saturday’s round. Karen Stupples (Arkansas State) is at 2 over for the tournament after a 4-over round Saturday. Stacy Prammanasudh (Conway) is also at 2 over for the tournament. She had an even-par round Saturday with one birdie and one bogey.

EUROPEAN TOUR Canizares leads at BMW

VIRGINIA WATER, England - Lee Westwood shot a 67 Saturday to move into second place, a stroke behind Alejandro Canizares, after three rounds of the third round of the BMW PGA Championship.

Canizares, 30, birdied his closing two holes to finish with a 68 at Wentworth for a 9-under 207.

Westwood made eagle on the par-5 fourth and finished at 208.

If Westwood wins, he would set the record for the most appearances before winning the event for the first time.

Canizares’ best finish at Wentworth was 10th four years ago.

“I know that people will look at the leaderboard and would assume Lee is going to win, but this sport has proven that it’s not always what it looks like,” the Spaniard said. “Anybody within five shots of the lead has an opportunity to win, so you never know.”

Westwood lost in a playoff here to Luke Donald two years ago.

Scotland’s Marc Warren (70) and Italy’s Matteo Manassero (69) are tied in third place at 7 under.

Sports, Pages 36 on 05/26/2013

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