Off the wire

GOLF McGirt leads by 2

William McGirt had never matched par in his two previous trips to Riviera. Now he is one round away from his first PGA Tour victory. McGirt opened with eight birdies in 13 holes on a day when everything felt easy. He wound up with a 6-under 65 on Saturday in the Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles, giving him a two-shot lead going into the final round. McGirt was at 12-under 201, two shots clear of George McNeill and Charlie Beljan. McNeill started with an eagle and picked up a final birdie on the par-3 16th for a 66. Beljan, who lost in a playoff at Riviera last year to John Merrick, hit a 3-wood into 8 feet for eagle on the 11th hole and shot a 68. Twelve players were within five shots of the lead. Jason Allred had a 67 and joined Brian Harman (68) at 204. The group at 8-under 205 had star power with Jordan Spieth (67), Dustin Johnson (69) and Jimmy Walker (67).Also in that group were a pair of Masters champions, Bubba Watson (64) and Charl Schwartzel (68). David Lingmerth (Arkansas Razorbacks) had three birdies and two bogeys for a 1-under 70 (209) and is tied in a group at 29th with Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State), who had six birdies and four bogeys for a 2-under 69 (209). Bryce Molder (Conway) had five birdies and three bogeys for a 2-under 69 (207) and is tied in a group for 17th.

South Korea’s Chella Choi set a course record with a 10-under 62 and took a share of the lead after the third round of the Women’s Australian Open on Saturday. A day after Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist broke the women’s course record with a 64 at the par-72 Victoria Golf Club, Choi eclipsed that mark with two eagles and seven birdies. Choi, who started the day eight shots behind overnight leader Caroline Hedwall of Sweden, was tied for first with 17-year-old Australian amateur Minjee Lee at 13 under 203. Lydia Ko of New Zealand was two shots back in third place after shooting a 69. Suzann Pettersen of Norway (72) was three shots back in fourth place. Choi, 23, had a birdie on her opening hole and then eagled the eighth and birdied the ninth for a 31 on the front nine. She had five birdies to go along with one bogey onthe back nine and capped the round with another eagle on No. 18. Lee, winner of the past two Australian amateur titles, made consecutive birdies on the 15th and 16th holes to shoot a 68. Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks) had five birdies and three bogeys for a 2-under 70 (210).

Almost on cue, lightning and heavy rain showers moved into the area and forced an afternoon suspension for the third consecutive day at the Pacific Rubiales Colombia Championship in Bogota. Play was suspended at 2:45 p.m. Thursday and 3:10 p.m. Friday. This time the stoppage came with all 70 players who made the cut on the Country Club of Bogota course. The three 36-hole leaders - Bill Lunde, Justin Thomas and Andrew Putnam - were barely 10 minutes into their round and had yet to complete the first hole. All three wound up sharing the second-round lead at 8-under 134. The plan is for play to resume at 7 a.m. today, complete the third round and hope the afternoon rains don’t come and allow the tournament to crown a 72-hole champion. Glen Day (Little Rock) was tied for 20th. Tag Ridings (Arkansas Razorbacks) failed to make the cut after two rounds.

Kirk Triplett shot a 5-under 67 in windy conditions for a share of the second-round lead with defending champion Bernard Langer in the ACE Group Classic at Naples, Fla. Triplett matched Langer at 10-under 134 on Twin Eagles’ Talon Course. Langer followed his opening 64 with a 70. Duffy Waldorf and Olin Browne were 9 under.

Emiliano Grillo surged into a two-shot lead at the Africa Open in East London, South Africa, with a 9-under 62 on Saturday, putting the Argentine in position for a first European Tour title. In a tournament of low scoring at East London Golf Club, Grillo went lowest in the third round with nine birdies and no bogeys to move to 20 under overall, two strokes ahead of Englishman Oliver Fisher heading to the last round. Fisher moved to 18 under with a 66 and was in contention following an up and down start when he made two birdies and an eagle in his last four holes. Richard Bland of England, Thomas Aiken of South Africa and John Hahn of the United States - the overnight leader - were two behind Fisher and four off the lead on 16 under par.

FOOTBALL

Agent: McDonald is ‘Player A’ in harassment report

The agent for Andrew Mc-Donald, a former Miami Dolphins lineman who is identified as “Player A” in the NFL investigation of the racially charged bullying scandal, said Saturday that his client is “disappointed his name has become associated with this story.”

An NFL-ordered report released Friday by lawyer Ted Wells on allegations by Jonathan Martin that he was harassed by teammate Richie Incognito said that Dolphins offensive line coach Jim Turner didn’t attempt to stop the behavior and even took part in some of the taunting of “Player A.”

Brett Tessler said in a statement to The Associated Press that his client has “been a member of another organization since last season and is trying to focus on his future. When Ted Wells approached Andrew at the end of the investigation, Mr. Wells already had all the information contained in the report that he had gotten elsewhere.

“While Andrew can’t speak for other players involved in the report, he personally has had no problem with the Miami Dolphins organization and has the highest opinion of Coach Turner both personally and professionally and feels terrible about the way their relationship has been portrayed in the report.”

McDonald, 25, is currently with the Carolina Panthers.

Several people interviewed told investigators that Turner gave Player A a male sex doll as a gag gift around Christmas 2012. Turner told investigators he did not remember the incident, but investigators said they did not believe him.

When asked if McDonald felt he was bullied or harassed, Tessler said the statement speaks for itself.

McDonald, 6-6, 310 pounds, was an undrafted rookie out of Indiana who spent two seasons on the Dolphins practice squad before being released in final cuts last August. He signed with Carolina’s practice squad in October and recently signed a “futures contract” with the Panthers

The NFL report stated there was a “pattern of harassment” committed by at least three players and extended to two lineman and an assistant trainer, all targets of vicious taunts and racist insults.