Watson maintains Doral lead

McNeill has one-stroke advantage in Puerto Rico Open

Associated Press

DORAL, FLA.

Bubba Watson hit one shot over the green and off the tower. Another shot hit a fan in the gallery. As wild as it looked at time, he never lost control of his game and he never lost the lead Saturday in the Cadillac Championship.

Watson raced off to an eagle-birdie start, then survived a few errant shots coming home on the Blue Monster for a 5-under 67, giving him a three-shot lead and putting him on the verge of his first World Golf Championship.

“All in all, it was a great day,” he said.

His optimism was tempered not so much by the few guys chasing him, rather a golf course that for Watson remains an acquired taste.

“The challenge is the Blue Monster,” Watson said.

It was more of a pushover in moderate wind, with Rory McIlroy thinking about a 59 with six holes to play, Tiger Woods making an early charge up the leaderboard and a dozen players signing for a 67 or better.

Watson was at 17-under 199.

PUERTO RICO OPEN

RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico

George McNeill shot a 5-under 67 to take a one-stroke lead over Henrik Stenson and Kevin Stadler into the final round of the Puerto Rico Open.

McNeill, at 13-under 203, is trying to win for the first time since the Frys.com Open in 2007 when he was a PGA Tour rookie. He eagled the par-5 fifth, dropped strokes with three-putt bogeys on No. 7 and 8, then birdied five of the last 10 holes on the Trump International layout.

Stenson had a 65, and Stadler shot a 66.

Second-round leader Matt Jones was two strokes back at 11 under after a 72.

Ryo Ishikawa, in Puerto Rico because he failed to qualify for the World Golf Championship this week at Doral, shot a 69 and will go into the final round just three shots out of the lead.