Verplank positioned for a Texas triumph

He made five birdies before Saturday’s Colonial play was suspended.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

FORT WORTH, Texas — Scott Verplank has set himself up for the chance at a rare Texas two-step on the PGA Tour.

Playing through periodic rain showers, Verplank had five birdies in 13 holes Saturday before the third round of the soaked Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial was suspended by impending darkness and more rain.

Verplank got to 9 under for a share of the lead with Rory Sabbatini, Pat Perez, Kevin Na, Arron Oberholser and Ben Curtis. Sabbatini had seven birdies and a bogey through 12 holes.

Last month in nearby Irving, Verplank had an emotional victory at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship — the Texan’s first tour win since 2001. The only person to win the Nelson and Colonial in the same year was Ben Hogan in 1946, the first Colonial.

LPGA

CORNING, N.Y. — Paula Creamer birdied her two final holes for a 6-under 66 to tie Beth Bader and Young Kim for the lead in the LPGA Corning Classic.

Creamer, three shots behind Bader at the start of play, completed a bogey-free round by chipping to 3 feet at No. 17 and finishing with a 10-foot birdie putt on 18.

The 20-year-old star, the Turtle Bay winner in her first start of the season, is seeking her fourth career LPGA Tour victory.

Bader (69), who began the day with a one-shot lead over Kim (68), fell behind by two shots at the turn, but she tied Kim at 16 under with a birdie at No. 13, and the two parred the final five holes to finish at 16-under 200.

Mi Hyun Kim (66) was a stroke back at 16 under. In-Kyung Kim (68) was 12 under, and Na On Min (68) and Becky Morgan (70) followed at 11 under.

Natalie Gulbis (70), Meg Mallon (68), Grace Park (67), Ai Miyazato (69) and Seon Hwa Lee (67) were tied at 10 under.

Senior PGA Championship

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. — Eduardo Romero missed a chance to take a big lead into the final day of the Senior PGA Championship, bogeying the final two holes to finish the third round with a two-stroke advantage.

Romero was 9 under and four shots ahead after a birdie on the par-3 14th, but hit into a bunker on the 17th hole, leading to one bogey.

Then he missed a 7-foot par putt on the 18th hole to tighten up a tournament he appeared to have a lock on.

Still, the Argentine star was 7 under after his 71, two strokes better than Denis Watson (69) and Nick Price (70). Naomichi “Joe” Ozaki (72) was fourth at 4 under.