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DiMarco just one stroke from Turnesa in Vegas

Robert Karlsson of Sweden, left, and Ross Fisher of England line their putts on the 17th hole at the Portugal Masters tournament in Vilamoura, Portugal, on Saturday. PHOTO: AFP

Chris DiMarco, seeking his first PGA title since 2002, fired a nine-under par 63 on Saturday to move within one stroke of leader Marc Turnesa after the third round of the Shriners Hospital Open.

DiMarco chipped in twice for eagles, at the par-5 ninth and 16th holes, and added his sixth birdie at the 18th to conclude his low round of the year and end 54 holes on 20-under 196 with US compatriots Ken Duke and Mike Allen.

DiMarco, who fired a 64 on Friday, won the most recent of his three PGA titles at the 2002 Phoenix Open but has not had a top-10 finish since last year’s World Golf Invitational event at Akron, Ohio.

DiMarco, who needed only 25 putts on Saturday, underwent shoulder surgery a year ago and said only now is his game rounding into form.

Turnesa, an American seeking his first PGA title like Duke and Allen, fired a 62 on Thursday and a 64 on Friday before grabbing the lead with a 69 on Saturday.

Rookie Turnesa, who missed the cut in six of his past eight events, stands 138th on the money list with three events remaining and hopes for a solid showing at this US$4.1 million event to keep PGA playing rights for next year.

Last month, Turnesa blew a three-shot lead on the back nine, taking a costly double bogey on the 71st hole, and lost a playoff at a PGA event in Madison, Mississippi.



■ PORTUGAL MASTERS

AFP, VILAMOURA, PORTUGAL

A violent thunderstorm halted Order of Merit leader Robert Karlsson’s attempts to build an imposing lead on the third day of the Portugal Masters on Saturday.

Giant Swede Karlsson led the tournament on 14 under par, alongside Ross Fisher of England and Spain’s Alvaro Quiros when play was halted for the day leaving Denmark’s Soren Hansen with the clubhouse lead at the Oceanico Victoria Golf Course on 13 under.

Karlsson and Fisher, playing together only two weeks after they clashed in a play-off for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews, were both on 14 under par and on the 17th green when officials suspended play until yesterday. Quiros still had five holes of his third round to complete.



■ KAPALUA CLASSIC

AFP, MAUI, HAWAII

Morgan Pressel fired a five-under 67 on Saturday to join a four-way tie for the lead after three rounds of the US$1.5 million LPGA Kapalua Classic.

Pressel’s five-under total of 211 saw her atop the leaderboard alongside Sweden’s Carin Koch, South Korean Lee Jee-young and American Brittany Lang.

Koch carded a 68, while Lee posted a 70 and Lang, who started the day tied for the lead with Suzann Pettersen, posted a 71.

Sun Young-yoo (71), Il Mi-chung (71), Laura Diaz (71) and Norway’s Pettersen (72) were all one stroke off the lead at four-under 212.

Heather Young, Cristie Kerr and Alena Sharp were a further stroke back, still within striking distance yesterday.

Pressel, in search of her first victory of the season, birdied three of her first six holes.

After back-to-back bogeys at nine and 10, she bounced back with a birdie at 11 and an eagle at 15.

Pressel’s last birdie came at 17 and she missed from two feet on 18 for a birdie that would have given her sole possession of the lead.
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