The battle for Tour Championship and FedExCup honors remained wide open after the US’ Jim Furyk grabbed a slender one-shot lead in Saturday’s third round at East Lake Golf Club.
Joint pacesetter overnight with playing partner Luke Donald of Britain, Furyk carded a level-par 70 on another hot and humid day for an eight-under total of 202 in the PGA Tour’s final playoff event.
Donald, who twice edged a stroke in front of the American over the front nine, surrendered the outright lead with an ugly double-bogey at the par-five 15th on the way to a 71.
That left him in a tie for second place with 2004 champion Retief Goosen of South Africa, who birdied three of the last seven holes for a 66.
Australian Geoff Ogilvy, who barely slept overnight after watching television coverage of his beloved St Kilda team in the Australian Football League Grand Final, was fourth at five under after a 72.
■VIVENDI CUP
AFP, PARIS
England’s John Parry, playing on the European Tour for the first year and desperate to avoid a speedy return to Qualifying School, opened a one-shot lead at the Vivendi Cup on Saturday.
Parry carded a third round of 70, while Denmark’s Mark Haastrup fired a 66 to move into a share of second place on 14 under par alongside Sweden’s Johan Edfors, who went round in 67.
■PANASONIC OPEN
AFP, KOBE, Japan
Australian Brendan Jones upstaged Japan’s big guns to claim a one-stroke victory at the Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open yesterday in Kobe and snap a title drought stretching back more than two years.
Starting the third and final round three strokes off the lead, the 35-year-old fired a closing round five-under-par 66, the week’s lowest, to lift his ninth career title in Japan at the Rokko Kokusai Golf Club.
Overnight leader Ryuichi Oda carded a 70 to finish second in the event jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour, which was reduced to 54 holes after bad weather forced the cancellation of play on Thursday. Title holder Daisuke Maruyama put up a solid defense by sharing third place, a further shot back, after a 69.
South Korea’s Noh Seung-yul, the Asian Tour Order of Merit leader, settled for joint eighth place after a 71, while Japan’s No. 1 and top draw Ryo Ishikawa, who held a share of the lead early on, faded to a 73 for equal 13th.
Taiwan’s best finisher was teenage amateur Hung Chien-yao, who carded a 70 in his final round to finish tied for 21st on one-over 214.
Additional Reporting by Staff Writer
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