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Flanagan and Coles lead US Bank Championship

Gavin Coles acknowledges the crowd after making a birdie putt on the 16th hole during the third round of the US Bank Championship golf tournament on Saturday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. PHOTO: AP

Second-round leader Nick Flanagan birdied his final hole on Saturday to join fellow Australian Gavin Coles in first place after three rounds at the US Bank Championship.

Flanagan, who shared the second-round lead with Richard Johnson of Sweden, shot a 1-under 69 and Coles a 68 to get to 11 under at Brown Deer Park Golf Course.

Johnson also birdied the 18th hole to shoot even-par 70, tied with Jon Mills (64), George McNeill (66) and Ken Duke (68) a stroke back of the leaders.

The low rounds came despite a drizzle that fell most of the day.

Five players were another shot back, including defending champion Joe Ogilvie, whose 68 on Saturday puts him in a good position to become the first repeat winner.

Kenny Perry, whose decision to play the tournament instead of the British Open was panned by players and the media, shot a third-round 69 to get to 6 under — too far back to have much of a chance at his fourth win this season.

“My goal was to get within three, and I had my chances,” said Perry, who won the John Deere Classic last week. “If I could have made a couple putts coming in and got within three, I would have had a shot at this deal. It will take a magical round tomorrow. I’d have to shoot 61 or some crazy number, and that ain’t happening right now.”

Nick Flanagan of Australia reacts as he watches a missed birdie putt on the 14th hole during the third round of the US Bank Championship golf tournament on Saturday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. PHOTO: AP

Flanagan, who was promoted after winning three tournaments on the Nationwide Tour, led at the turn despite a bogey on the par-4 ninth, when he missed a short putt. The bogey dropped him back to 10 under, the score he and Johnson had to share the lead after two rounds.

Flanagan still retained at least a share of the lead until he bogeyed the par-4 17th. His third shot from green-side rough barely got onto the green, and he missed a long putt for par to fall a shot behind Coles.

The 24-year-old tour rookie made up for his mistake on the 557-yard, par-5 finishing hole. After a good drive, Flanagan hit a hybrid to 12-feet and barely missed an eagle putt that would have given him sole possession of first place.

Johnson, the first-round leader, also missed a putt for eagle at the 18th. He had to settle for a birdie that kept him just a shot out of first place.

Coles, whose 62 Friday was the low round of the tournament, stumbled through bogeys on the first two holes to fall to 7 under.

He rebounded with four birdies on the back nine, including back-to-back at 12 and 13, and his birdie at the par-4 16th got him to 11 under.

Mills, another former Nationwide Tour player, started on the back nine because he was so far behind the leaders when the day began.

After making up a pair on his first nine, Mills shot 4-under 30 on the front side.
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