Karlsson still in lead despite bogeys on final two holes
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — With 18 holes left, too much golf remains for Robert Karlsson to worry about a couple of late bogeys.
Karlsson looked ready to run away from the field Saturday, leading by 5 strokes on the back nine at the St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tenn.
The Swede closed with his only bogeys of the day on the final two holes and finished with a 2-under 68 that dropped him to 11 under, 1 stroke ahead of Harrison Frazar through three rounds in this final U.S. Open tuneup.
“I’m very, very happy with where I am at the moment. I mean you’re going to make a mistake here and there,” Karlsson said.
“Just keep doing what I’m doing. I mean it’s a 72-hole golf tournament. It’s a long, long way to go still, and … I’m very happy with where I’m standing and let’s go from there.”
Frazar said he thought Karlsson was in total control of the tournament, so he focused only on playing. He got hot and birdied three of his final four holes to finish with a 64 that got him to 10 under.
That included rolling in a 42-footer for birdie on No. 18 on a similar line to a putt he had last year. Frazar, so confident he had the right line, even waved his caddie off.
“Went right in the center, jumped in there like a rabbit,” he said.
John Merrick (67) is third, followed by Retief Goosen, who turned in the best 18-hole score this week at TPC Southwind before being matched by Frazar. Fredrik Jacobson (68) and Keegan Bradley (70) are tied for fifth.
LPGA State Farm Classic:Top-ranked Yani Tseng shot her second straight 6-under 66 to take a 1-stroke lead over Mindy Kim in the LPGA State Farm Classic in Springfield.Tseng reached 17 under, birdieing all four of Panther Creek#146;s par 5s in her bogey-free round. She won the season-opening LPGA Thailand for her sixth tour title in four years.Kim, the leader after the first two round, bogeyed the final hole for a 69.Brittany Lincicome, coming off a victory last Sunday in New Jersey, shot a 66 to join Shanshan Feng (69) at 14 under. Defending champion Cristie Kerr (66) was another stroke back at 13 under.Greater Hickory Classic:Bob Tway moved a step closer to his first Champions Tour title, shooting a 5-under 67 to maintain a 1-shot lead after the second round of the Greater Hickory Classic at Conover, N.C.Tway was 14 under at Rock Barn. Playing partner Tommy Armour III was second after a 67. Monday qualifier James Mason (65), Chip Beck (65), Mark Wiebe (68) and Mark O#146;Meara (67) were 12 under.Italian Open:Robert Rock stretched his lead to 2 shots in the Italian Open at Fiano, Italy, shooting a second straight 4-under 68 in a bid for his first European Tour title.The Englishman was 16 under. Italian star Francesco Molinari (68) was tied for second with Niclas Fasth (64), Pablo Larrazabal (65), Jbe Kruger (67), Joost Luiten (69) and Gary Boyd (68).