Wheatcroft falls back, Rohanna holds steady in golf events
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Rickie Fowler shot a 4-under 68 on Saturday to take the third-round lead in the Wells Fargo Championship.
Fowler, the 2012 winner for his first PGA Tour victory, birdied Nos. 14-17 and closed with two pars to reach 9-under 207. Roberto Castro was a stroke back, and Justin Rose and James Hahn were 7 under. Castro had a 71, Hahn shot 68, and Rose 69.
Trinity High School graduate Steve Wheatcroft struggled for the second consecutive day after opening the tournament as a the co-leader with a 65. Wheatcroft shot a four-over 76 Saturday to fall eight strokes off the lead and into a tie for 19th place.
Phil Mickelson and defending champion Rory McIlroy struggled, dropping eight shots behind Fowler.
Mickelson, looking for his first win at the Quail Hollow Club in 13 starts, was in contention until a quadruple- bogey 8 on his old nemesis, the 18th hole. He finished with a 76.
McIlroy, the tournament’s only two-time winner, had two bogeys in the first four holes and shot 73.
Scott Langley (71) and Andrew Loupe (74) were 6 under.
Rohanna shoots 71 at Yohohama Tire Classic: Ariya Jutanugarn birdied eight of the final nine holes to match the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic record at 9-under 63 and take a three-stroke lead.
Seeking her first LPGA Tour victory, the 20-year-old Thai player had a 14-under 202 total.
Waynesburg’s Rachel Rohanna shot a 71 and is two-under for the tournament in a tie for 37th place. Rohanna has shot a 69 and 71 the past two days after carding an opening-round 74.
Ryann O’Toole and Australia’s Minjee Lee were tied for second. They each shot 68.
Jutanugarn parred No. 15, the only blemish in her back-nine birdie run on the links-style Senator Course at Capitol Hill. She pulled her approach left on No. 17 and still knocked it within a couple of feet of the hole, and closed with a 5-footer on the final hole for yet another birdie.
She has flirted with wins before but had two final-round collapses. Last month in the ANA Inspiration, she had a two-stroke lead with three holes left and closed with three bogeys to finish fourth – two strokes behind winner Lydia Ko in the major championship. In the 2013 LPGA Thailand at age 17, Jutanugarn blew a two-stroke lead with a closing triple bogey in a one-stroke loss to Inbee Park.
Maggert, Parnevik top leaderboard: Local favorite Jeff Maggert and Jesper Parnevik shared the Insperity Invitational lead at 7 under, leaving John Daly six strokes back in his PGA Tour Champions debut.
Maggert birdied the par-4 18th for a 3-under 69, and playing partner Parnevik had a bogey on the par-4 17th in a 68 at The Woodlands Country Club.
Daly followed his opening 70 with a 73 to drop into a tie for 21st at 1 under. The two-time major champion made four straight bogeys in the middle of the round and rebounded with birdies on 15 and 18. He turned 50 on April 28.
Maggert had four birdies and a bogey. The Woodlands resident and former Texas A&M player led the tour with four victories last year, including major wins at the U.S. Senior Open and Regions Tradition.
Parnevik eagled the par-5 13th and had four birdies and two bogeys. The 51-year-old Swede is winless on the 50-and-over tour.
Trophee Hassan II: England’s Chris Hanson shot a 5-under 67 to take the third-round lead in the European Tour’s Trophee Hassan II.
Hanson had an eagle, five birdies and two bogeys to reach 6-under 210 at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam. Countryman David Dixon (67) and France’s Clement Berardo (68) wer a stroke back.