On the fairways Saturday’s pro golf events

PGA Tour

SAN ANTONIO — Defending champion Zach Johnson matched the La Cantera course record with a 10-under 60 on Saturday to take a three-stroke lead in the suspended third round of the rain-soaked Texas Open. Johnson holed out from 84 yards for an eagle on the par-7 seventh and had eight birdies on the soggy course in the round interrupted by a five-hour rain delay. He tapped in for par on 18 seconds after the horn blew and darkness suspended play. Paul Goydos and three-time champion Justin Leonard were 12 under through 12 holes. They’ll resume the round this morning.

LPGA

CLIFTON, N.J. — Suzann Pettersen and Ji Young Oh seemingly won’t have to worry about three-time defending champion Lorena Ochoa making a run at them in the final round of the Sybase Classic. There are plenty of other challengers though, including recent major winner Brittany Lincicome, eight-time LPGA winner Paul Creamer and probably the most famous non-winner on tour, 19-year-old Michelle Wie. Pettersen of Norway and Oh of South Korea shot 3-under 69s Saturday, taking a one-stroke lead over Lincicome after three rounds of the $2 million event that seemingly will have a new champion with Ochoa 10 shots back heading into the final round on the Upper Montclair Country Club. The biggest story would be Wie winning her first title since the USGA Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship in 2003. She turned pro in 2006 but that first win has eluded her. She had a second in Hawaii earlier this year after blowing a three-stroke lead with eight holes to go. “It would mean a lot,” Wie said after matching Creamer’s 69 to move three shots behind the leaders. “I always think about it, you know, how — that old Nationwide Tour commercial with the guy holding the little [coffee] creamer thing, that’s basically how I feel. I’m just basically going to go out there and try my hardest and have fun like I had the last few it days and see where it takes me.” Wie missed seven putts of 10 feet or less in the second round and she missed four of 4 feet or less on Saturday. “I’m a pretty good putter, just want to send the ball home,” Wie said. “But it will go home tomorrow; I’ll make it.”

Champions Tour

HOOVER, Ala. — Gene Jones and Keith Fergus were in the lead at 10 under when play was suspended by rain in the second round of the Regions Charity Classic. Rain had halted play for four hours in the morning and it was suspended with the threat of storms looming after Jones was 7 under through 14 holes in his second round. Fergus had finished the front nine in 4 under to join him atop the leaderboard. Tom McKnight was one shot back after playing his first 10 holes in 4 under. Jay Don Blake and Joe Azaki were another shot back, and five more players were at 7 under. It was the Champions Tour’s first suspension of the year, setting up an early two-tee start today to complete the second round. The final round is scheduled to follow.

Associated Press