Overnight leader Rod Pampling shot a 3-over 74 yesterday, but held on to a one-stroke lead after the third round of the 100th anniversary Australian Open.
Pampling saw his four-shot lead evaporate quickly at The Australian course, site of the first Australian Open in 1904, when he dropped three shots in the first five holes Saturday. He has a three-round total of 5-under 208, one shot clear of Australian Richard Green, who had a 67 yesterday.
Left-hander Green made two chip-ins, putted just 22 times and had five sand saves to pull himself into contention.
Australian Kurt Barnes, the first-round leader with a 65, is in third place after a 72, two strokes back of Pampling.
Australians Paul Gow and 2001 champion Stuart Appleby are three shots back tied for fourth at 211 -- Gow after a 71 and Appleby after a 72.
Colombian Camilo Villegas shot a 69 to move into contention at 212, four strokes off the lead, while Robert Allenby (69), American Bob Estes (70) and defending champion Peter Lonard (71) were in a group of five at 213, five shots off the lead.
Corey Pavin of the US, the 1995 U.S. Open winner, shot 74 Saturday and sits at 6-over 219, 11 shots back of Pampling.
Pampling said scoring became more difficult as the wind and warm weather dried out the greens.
"If I can shoot one under or even par tomorrow [today] that might be enough to win it," Pampling said.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
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Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB