McDowell, who lies 11th on the Ryder Cup table, said: “I realize the outcomes of potential finishes tomorrow, but this is not the last chance saloon for me this weekend. There will be enough pressure on me without overly thinking about that.”
Sergio Garcia was well-placed after two rounds, but his two-over 74 on Saturday left the Spaniard nine shots adrift of Fisher, in a group including India’s Jeev Milkha Singh.
Defending champion Colin Montgomerie, who won this title at the K Club in Ireland last year, was a shot further back.
■LPGA ARKANSAS
AFP, ROGERS, Arkansas
South Korea’s Meena Lee posted a seven-under 65 to take a one-shot clubhouse lead during a rain-interrupted second round of the LPGA Arkansas Championship on Saturday.
Play was called because of darkness with 70 players still on the course late on Saturday. Play was delayed twice by rain and the second round will resume followed immediately by the final round.
Lee, who recorded five of her eight birdies on the front nine, birdied all three par-three holes on the back nine to take the lead in the 54-hole event at the Pinnacle Country Club.
“Because of the rain, the course overall was a lot softer today,” Lee said.
The former Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) player of the year, Lee overcame her lone blemish — a bogey on the 16th hole — to finish at 12-under 132. Brazil’s Angela Park and Kristy McPherson of the US were tied for second.
Park equaled the lowest round on the LPGA Tour this year by posting a career-low round of 10-under 62. The 19-year-old recorded 11 birdies, including seven on the back nine.
After tying for third at the US Open last weekend, Park finished her round with four birdies to remain right on the heels of Lee.
“Obviously, everything went right today. Just one hole hiccup there,” Park said, referring to her bogey on the 12th hole. “But I’ve been hitting the ball great coming into this week. I’ve been putting very well, which was always my struggle in my game.”
McPherson mixed five birdies with two bogeys to finish three-under for the day and 11-under for the tournament.
“I didn’t play bad golf this afternoon,” McPherson said.
South Korean Ji Eun-hee was seven-under for the day and 12-under through 16 holes on Saturday when play was postponed.
South Korea’s Lee Seon-hwa, who fired a season-low 64 on Friday, was 11-under through 16 holes.
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