ON THE LINKS Saturday’s pro golf results

PGA TOUR

Wolff, 2 others share 3M lead at 15 under

BLAINE, Minn.

Matthew Wolff shot a 9-under 62 Saturday to share the lead with Collin Morikawa and Bryson DeChambeau at 15 under after three rounds of the inaugural 3M Open.

Morikawa shot a 64 at the TPC Twin Cities, while DeChambeau had a 70.

Wolff, 20, who won the NCAA individual title on Memorial Day, is playing in his third event since turning professional, and the 22-year-old Morikawa his fourth.

DeChambeau, who opened the day with a two-shot lead, is vying for his sixth career win and first since the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in November.

Seeking his first tour win in 31 starts, Wyndham Clark, 25, shot a 64 and was tied with Adam Hadwin (69) one shot back.

Sixteen players are within four shots of the lead, including Hideki Matsuyama, Charles Howell III and Troy Merritt, who graduated from nearby Spring Lake Park High School. Each shot a 66 and were two shots behind.

Playing in ideal weather conditions — temperatures in the low-80s, increasing clouds and no wind — 65 of the 85 players shot under par on the par-71 layout.

Wolff, who made his professional debut two weeks ago by finishing 80th at the Travelers Championship and missed the cut at last week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic, used stellar approach shots to help him record six straight birdies on Nos. 5-10. None of the putts were longer than 8 feet. Birdies at No. 13 and 15 made a round of 59 seem possible.

However, Wolff missed a 4-foot birdie putt on No. 16 and a tee shot into a bunker led to bogey on the par-3 17th. He scrambled for birdie on No. 18 after an errant tee shot.

Named the Pac-12 Men’s Golfer of the Year in May, Morikawa made his professional debut four weeks ago and finished tied for 14th at the RBC Canadian Open. He tied for 35th at the U.S. Open and tied for 36th at the Travelers Championship two weeks ago.

Morikawa birdied five of his first seven holes, but only three the rest of the way.

DeChambeau birdied the first and last holes, had one bogey and 15 pars.

Clark, 25, who has two top-10s in his previous 30 events since 2017, had eight birdies, including four straight to start the back nine, as part of a 7-under 64.

lPGA TOUR

Birdie barrage lifts Park into three-way tie

kONEIDA, Wis.

Sung Hyun Park made her seventh birdie in 11 holes to build a three-shot lead and she still had a par 5 to play Saturday, a daunting position for those trying to catch the No. 1 player in the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic.

It all changed so suddenly.

Park hit into the water on the par-5 15th and three-putted from about 20 feet for birdie. That was followed by a bogey on the next hole. Now the tournament is wide open going into the final round at the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic.

Park had to settle for a 3-under 69, leaving her in a four-way tie for the lead with Shanshan Feng (65), Tiffany Joh (66) and Ariya Jutanugarn, who missed a 4-foot par putt late in her round and shot 67.

They were at 20-under 196.

“The swings weren’t that good,” Park said through a translator. “The play on the green wasn’t good, as well. But I’m relieved that today was just the third round, and I look forward to tomorrow’s round.”

Also very much in the mix is Yealimi Noh, the 17-year-old from California who turned down an offer to play at UCLA to turn pro this year without having a card on any tour. She got into Thornberry Creek through Monday qualifying and has played like she belongs.

Noh, who played in the final group with Park, matched her with a 69 and was one shot behind going into today’s final round. She has worked hard enough and has the pedigree to not be surprised. Still, it was hard not to look around at her environment.

“It’s crazy,” Noh said. “I was always watching them on TV and seeing those names — and seeing my name up there and not having to scroll all the way down — it’s really weird. But it’s nice.”

Feng and Joh each bogeyed the opening hole and made up for it with a series of birdies and an eagle on the par-5 13th. They will be in the final group as Joh, a UCLA alum, goes after her first LPGA Tour victory.

Right in front of them will be Park and Jutanugarn, both major champions who have been No. 1 in the world and captured all the big awards on the LPGA Tour.

Twelve players were separated by five shots going into the last round on a course known to give up low scores. A year ago, Sei Young Kim won at 31-under par.

Jutanugarn was in position to win another major two weeks ago at Hazeltine until she failed to make birdie in the final round.

Associated Press