On the Links Saturday’s professional golf results

PGA HONDA CLASSIC

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLA.

One bad swing by Adam Scott led to two balls in the water on the same hole Saturday in the Honda Classic. Even with a quadruple bogey, he managed to be satisfied with a 4-under 66 and a share of the lead with Sergio Garcia. A bizarre and breezy afternoon ended at PGA National with two players whose fortunes changed mightily in the final hour. Scott looked better than ever, 7 under through 14 holes and only once having to save par. He was three shots ahead going to the tee on the par-3 15th, and it was starting to look like a runaway. Some 20 minutes later, he was one shot behind Garcia. “Pretty costly,” Scott said. “But fortunately, I had a couple shots to spare. Hopefully, it won’t cost me too big in the grand scheme of things.” Garcia lost the lead with a bogey from the bunker on the 17th, and caught Scott with a short birdie on the 18th for a 67. They were at 9-under 201. Blayne Barber had a 69 and was four shots behind.

Scott and Garcia were quick to point out that Sunday might not be the two-man race, and there was plenty of evidence to back them up. Rickie Fowler had a one-shot lead going into the third round and was the first player at the Honda Classic to go bogey-free through the opening 36 holes. And then on Saturday, he couldn’t make a birdie. Fowler made bogey on the easiest hole at PGA National, the par-5 third, and wound up with a 74 to fall five shots behind. Graeme McDowell had a 67 and was six shots behind at 207 along with Scott Brown and Vijay Singh (68).

LPGA THAILAND

CHONBURI, THAILAND

Lexi Thompson shot an 8-under 64 Saturday in the third round of the LPGA Thailand to establish a four-stroke lead over Korean In Gee Chun at Siam Country Club. The fourth-ranked American fired nine birdies — against a lone bogey on the 16th — for an overall 16-under 200. “I missed a putt on the first hole which got me down a little bit, but I tried to stay positive going into the next hole and fire at pins like I did the first day,” said Thompson, who is chasing her seventh LPGA Tour career victory. Thompson has won four out of the six times she has led after the third round. Chun carded three birdies on both the front and back nine for a 6-under 66.

Associated Press