ON THE LINKS Saturday’s pro golf news

Former U.S. Open champ Littler dies at 88

SAN DIEGO

Gene Littler, whose fluid swing carried him to 29 victories on the PGA Tour and a U.S. Open title at Oakland Hills, has died.

Littler died Friday night with his family at his side, son Curt Litter said Saturday. He was 88.

Littler held his own among the golfing greats to emerge from San Diego with a tempo to his swing that made the game look easy. Gene Sarazen once said Littler had a perfect swing, like Sam Snead, “only better.”

He was known as “Gene the Machine,” and he won the first of his tour titles in the 1954 San Diego Open while still an amateur. He won the 1955 Los Angeles Open for his first pro victory and went on to win three more times that year.

A testament to the quality of his swing was that Littler had a malignant tumor removed from the lymph glands under his left arm in 1972 when he was 42, and he won four more times. Littler won three times at age 45 in 1975.

Thomas leaves Riviera with 1-shot lead

LOS ANGELES

Justin Thomas got a lot done in just eight holes Saturday before leaving Riviera with a one-shot lead and facing a marathon finish in the Genesis Open.

Thomas nearly holed a 9-iron and then made par with a chip off the green and over the bunker in the middle of the par-3 sixth hole as part of the six holes he played to complete a 6-under 65. Adam Scott also had a 65 and tied Thomas for the 36-hole lead.

Thomas began the third round with a 12-foot eagle putt and saved par before darkness halted play.

Tiger Woods made the cut with one shot to spare, and then started the third round with three birdies and an eagle to get within seven shots.

Three share lead at Chubb Classic lead

NAPLES, Fla.

Ken Tanigawa had six back-nine birdies in a 5-under 66 for a share of the Chubb Classic lead Saturday with Glen Day and Stephen Ames.

Tanigawa rebounded from bogeys on Nos. 8 and 9 with birdies on Nos. 10-12, 14, 15 and 17 at The Classics at Lely Resort. He won the PURE Insurance Championship in September at Pebble Beach for his lone PGA Tour Champions title.

Korda has 3-shot lead in Australian Open

ADELAIDE, Australia

Nelly Korda made up for an early bogey on the back nine with three consecutive birdies and four on her final six holes to shoot a 5-under 67 Saturday and take a three-stroke lead after three rounds of the LPGA’s Women’s Australian Open.

Korda, tied for third after the second round, had a 54-hole total of 12-under 204 at The Grange.

Japan’s Haru Nomura had a 70 Saturday and was in second place, with three players tied for third, four strokes behind.

Five-time winner Karrie Webb shot 71 and was eight strokes behind.

Associated Press