Baddeley leads by 1 shot at Northern Trust Open
Aaron Baddeley played 22 holes Saturday in just about every kind of weather, and it hardly mattered. He hit just about every shot where he was aiming and wound up with a 1-shot lead in the Northern Trust Open at Los Angeles.
Baddeley birdied the 18th hole in the chill of the morning for a 69, then ran off 3 straight birdies around the turn just as the afternoon rain arrived. That led to a 4-under 67, giving him a 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour for the first time in five years.
Now he just has to hold off a couple of guys nearly old enough to be his father.
Fred Couples and his 51-year-old aching back managed well enough in the cold and rain. Couples made only one blunder when he chipped too strong off the back of the 10th green for his lone bogey. He shot a 1-under 70 and was 1 shot behind as he tries to become the oldest PGA Tour winner in more than 35 years.
“I hung in there,” Couples said. “I didn't hit the ball exceptionally well, but I hit it solid, which is what I said I needed to do. I just didn't make enough birdies. So tomorrow I have to come out and fight and see what happens.”
Baddeley, winless in four years, is back with his old swing coach and starting to see some results. He was at 10-under 203 and will be in the final group Sunday with Couples and Kevin Na.
“It's been a little bit of time since I've been in this position, so I'm excited for the challenge,” Baddeley said.
ACE Group Classic:
Bernhard Langer shot a 6-under 66 and leads the Champions Tour's ACE Group Classic in Naples, Fla. by 4 strokes heading into the final round. Langer matched the tournament's 36-hole record at 14-under 130. Mark O'Meara, Russ Cochran, Fred Funk and Mark Calcavecchia are tied for second.
Avantha Masters:
Pablo Larrazabal of Spain eagled the 18th hole in fading light to take the clubhouse lead of the third round of the fog-plagued Avantha Masters in New Dehli. Larrazabal's 6-under 66 gave him an 11-under 205 total and a 1-stroke lead over S.S.P. Chowrasia (67) and fellow Indian Sujjan Singh (68) and Argentine Rafa Echenique (67) at the combined European and Asian tour event.
LPGA Thailand:
Top-ranked Yani Tseng shot a 2-under 70 for a 1-shot lead after the third round of the LPGA Thailand in Pattaya. She is trying for her third tournament victory in three weeks. The Taiwanese star had a 9-under 207 total, 1 better than Michelle Wie.