Merritt on rise; Tiger falls back

Troy Merritt was seven shots off the lead going into Saturday’s third round, but the 29-year-old shot a tournament-record 10-under 61 to move into a tie atop the leaderboard with Kevin Chappell at the Quicken Loans National in Gainesville, Va.
Troy Merritt was seven shots off the lead going into Saturday’s third round, but the 29-year-old shot a tournament-record 10-under 61 to move into a tie atop the leaderboard with Kevin Chappell at the Quicken Loans National in Gainesville, Va.

GAINESVILLE, Va. -- Troy Merritt couldn't miss Saturday in the Quicken Loans National.

Tiger Woods couldn't make anything.

photo

AP

Tiger Woods entered Saturday only three shots off the lead, but didn’t fare well in the third round of the Quicken Loans National in Gainesville, Va. Woods shot a 3-over-par 74 and is nine shots off the lead at 5-under 208.

Merritt shot a tournament-record 10-under 61 to top the leaderboard even before the leading contenders teed off. It held up, too, as several players made runs at joining him at 14 under, but only Kevin Chappell, another veteran seeking a breakthrough victory, didn't fade in the searing heat at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.

Chappell had a 67. Rickie Fowler (68) was a stroke back, and Jason Bohn (67), Whee Kim (67), Charles Howell III (67) and former Arkansas Razorback David Lingmerth (68) followed at 12 under.

Woods, who seemed to signal a return to contending golf Friday with a 66 that moved him within three strokes of the lead, was errant off the tee early and had several birdie putts slide by the hole.

While Merritt had 11 birdies and a bogey on the par-5 eighth, Woods didn't make his first birdie until a 17-foot putt dropped on the par-4 15th. He hit his tee shot on the 187-yard 16th to inches, flashing a huge smile on the tee box, and then made a bogey at the par-4 18th to finish with a 74. He'll start today nine shots back.

"I was waiting for the one moment, the one shot. I couldn't find it," Woods said, adding that after starting with seven consecutive pars, he thought it might come at the par-5 eighth when his tee shot finally found the fairway.

Instead, his 3-wood approach sailed over the green and he made a bogey.

"I was dead back there, compounding the problem," he said.

Merritt had long since finished and went into the final round as the leader for the second time this season. He had the lead to himself after the second and third rounds of the RBC Heritage but finished third.

Merritt had missed five consecutive cuts coming into the week.

"The big thing is we put ourselves into contention for tomorrow and that was the goal," he said. "I wanted to have a good week this week, and I've been taking weekends off for two months now."

Chappell wasn't as spectacular but started the day tied for third and more than kept pace with the field.

"I've done a really good job of functioning this week," he said. "'That's the grass. That's the sky. That's the hole. That's my ball.' Shoot the lowest score tomorrow and I win the golf tournament."

Fowler, starting in the group ahead of the last two, has already won The Players Championship and the Scottish Open this year and hopes to give the leaders something to think about as quickly as possible.

"I'm looking forward to being out in front and making some noise, see if we can chase the guys down early and get things going," he said.

Charles Howell III, playing with Woods, followed his near ace at 16 by knocking his tee shot to just inches, giving them both tap-in birdies, but with larger implications for Howell. The 15-year pro is seeking his first victory since the 2007 Nissan Open.

"I made some birdies and they're out there," Howell said. "Got to keep the pedal down tomorrow."

There was no shortage of players making big moves attacking soft greens and with no wind.

Carl Pettersson and Bill Haas shot 64s to move to 11 under, and Vaughn Taylor had a wild day with 10 birdies and three bogeys in another 64 that moved him into a tie for 15th at 9 under.

No one took greater advantage that Merritt, seeking his first victory in 96 career starts.

"I finally made putts," he said. "It's really frustrating the first few days hitting the ball really, really well and having good proximity to the hole and not getting much out of it. Today I hit the ball really well and got a lot out of it."

He started with five consecutive birdies and six in the first seven holes, and had four birdies in a row and five in six holes in another stretch on the back nine. He closed with a par on the par-4 18th.

Starting fast isn't unusual, Merritt said, but sustaining it has been challenging.

"Making birdie at No. 12 was a huge momentum gain," he said, speaking of the 490-yard par 4, the hardest hole on the course through three rounds. "Then went on to birdie 13, 14 and 15 making good putts."

Defending champion Justin Rose shot a 65 and was among four tied at 11 under.

Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) shot a 1-under 70 and is tied for 57th with Bryce Molder (Conway), who had a 1-over 72. Both have a three-round total of 3-under 210.

EUROPEAN TOUR

Warren tops Hatton

ABERDEEN, Scotland -- Marc Warren of Scotland holed an approach shot from 59 yards for eagle on the 19th to beat Tyrrell Hatton in an action-packed quarterfinal at the Paul Lawrie Match Play on Saturday.

Warren was three down after five holes and needed on-course treatment by the European Tour physio for a back problem. Hatton chipped in for birdie on No. 18 to take the match to extra holes.

"It was one of the most bizarre games I have ever been involved in," Warren said.

Warren will face Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat in the semifinals after the third seed came from three down after four holes to beat Northern Ireland's Michael Hoey, 2 and 1.

David Howell of England will take on former Ryder Cup teammate Robert Karlsson of Sweden in the other semifinal.

CHAMPIONS TOUR

Perry matches record

BLAINE, Minn. -- Defending champion Kenny Perry had a hole in one and matched the 3M Championship record with an 11-under 61 on Saturday to take a four-stroke lead in the Champions Tour's event.

Perry played the first eight holes in 7 under, making the ace on the fourth hole, and had two birdies on the back nine and closed with an 18-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th. He had a 14-under 130 total at TPC Twin Cities.

Kevin Sutherland and Scott Dunlap were tied for second. Sutherland had a 65, and Dunlap shot 67.

Minnesota native Tom Lehman, the first-round leader after a 64, had a 71 to drop into a tie for fourth at 9 under with Bernhard Langer and Marco Dawson. Langer and Dawson each shot 67. Langer won the event in 2009 and 2012 and has two second-place finishes in his previous six appearances. Dawson won the Senior British Open last week in England.

WEB.COM

Kizzire keeps lead

Patton Kizzire held a two-stroke lead Saturday over Sung Kang of Korea after the third round of the Utah Championship at Lehi, Utah. Kizzire was at 16-under 200 for the three rounds.

Scott Harrington was alone in third place after a 65 at 13 under, and Steve Marino (67) and Alex Aragon (68) were tied for fourth at 12 under.

Tag Ridings (Arkansas Razorbacks) had 1 eagle, 5 birdies and 2 bogeys for a 5-under 67, bringing his three-round total to 11-under 205. He is tied for sixth with Jeff Corr and Kelly Kraft.

Zack Fischer (Little Rock) shot a 4-under 68 for a three-round total of 208, tied for 23rd.

Andrew Landry (Razorbacks) and Sebastian Cappelen (Razorbacks) did not make the cut.

Sports on 08/02/2015

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