Australian Jason Day continued his emergence as one of the game’s best young players when he earned a one-stroke lead after the third round at the US$7.5 million Deutsche Bank Championship on Sunday.
Day, who began the round tied for the lead, made a tap-in birdie at the par-five 18th for a five-under-par 66 that included just one bogey, a three-putt blemish at the 16th hole at the Boston TPC.
“I played great today. I made a hiccup on 16, but overall very happy to be where I am right now,” said Day, who was at 17-under 196.
PHOTO: AFP
American Brandt Snedeker (67) was alone in second place on 16-under after chipping in to salvage par at the last, where he hit his second shot into a hazard.
Briton Luke Donald was two strokes behind, while defending champion Steve Stricker, without a bogey all week, trailed by four with fellow American Charley Hoffman.
Day is often overlooked amid talk of who might be the next great player, but his credentials the past few months are impressive.
PHOTO: EPA
The 22-year-old has not missed a cut since clinching his maiden PGA Tour victory at the Byron Nelson Championship in May, and just last month was in contention during the final round at the PGA Championship, where he finished tied for 10th.
“The biggest thing for me tomorrow is to commit to the shot that needs to be hit, just keep hanging around and try and make them chase me,” Day said. “I just have to look away from the leader boards and keep giving it 100 percent and keep playing my game.”
Snedeker played down the importance of his splendid par-save, a 40-foot chip-in at the last.
“A two-shot lead really isn’t that much difference between a one-shot lead,” Snedeker said. “Jason played fantastic today. I don’t see him slipping tomorrow, so I’m going to have to shoot something low.”
Third-place Donald, buoyed by his selection last week on the European Ryder Cup team, is feeling relaxed.
“There was some relief [getting a captain’s pick] and now I’m just enjoying being out here,” he said. “I struck the ball much better than the first two days and putted nicely on the back nine.”
World No. 1 Tiger Woods will go another week without winning, despite a respectable two-under 69. He started the day seven strokes from the lead but ended it 10 behind.
“Today was a bit of a struggle,” said Woods, who has not won this year while going through divorce in the wake of revelations of marriage infidelity.
Barring a poor final round, he should be among the 70 players who advance to next week’s BMW Championship, the third of four events in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoff series.
AFP, CRANS MONTANA, Switzerland
Miguel Angel Jimenez won the European Masters title on Sunday to become the fifth member of Europe’s Ryder Cup team to clinch a title in the last month.
The 46-year-old Spaniard defeated Ryder Cup teammate Edoardo Molinari by three shots, overcoming a late scare when the Italian slashed his lead from six to one stroke over the last seven holes.
However, Molinari’s challenge fizzled out with a bogey at the 16th while Jimenez closed with par-birdie-par to seal his 18th career title, 11 of which have come since he turned 40.
His win follows morale-boosting wins for Ryder Cup teammates Ross Fisher at the Irish Open, Martin Kaymer in the US PGA Championship, Peter Hanson at the Czech Open and Molinari in last week’s Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.
Jimenez finished with a four-under-par 67 and 21 under total of 263 for his third title of the season.
Molinari’s 17-year-old compatriot Matteo Manassero came third on 16 under following a 68 and secured a European Tour card for next season in six starts as a professional.
Teenage South Korean star Noh Seung-yul produced an impressive fourth place finish to widen his lead on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit.
The 19-year-old carded a four-under-par 67 for a 13-under-par 271 total, eight shots behind Jimenez.
Noh, who impressed Australian legend Greg Norman after playing together in the first two rounds, shot seven birdies against three bogeys and finished four shots ahead of second-ranked Marcus Fraser of Australia, who settled for joint 16th place in the event co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour.
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