Honda's third round washed out by storm

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- Padraig Harrington is a 36-hole leader on the PGA Tour for the first time in nearly five years and he knows he has a long way to go.

A vicious storm Saturday at the Honda Classic made his weekend even longer.

Harrington made six birdies in the 12 holes he played Saturday morning in the rain-delayed tournament to complete a 4-under 66 and take a one-shot lead over Patrick Reed, with Ian Poulter and Brendan Steele another shot behind.

The third round ended 51 minutes after it started because of a storm that packed 50 mph gusts and dumped about 5 inches of rain on PGA National. The storm was so severe that it created an air bubble on the 18th green the size of a sea turtle, caused the sides of bunkers to cave in and toppled an electronic scoreboard off a platform and down to the bottom of a lake.

"That's as bad as I've ever seen it rain," Russell Knox of Scotland said after a 68 left him four shots behind.

Only 24 players completed a hole before the storm arrived, causing the third delay of the week. The plan was to return at 10 a.m. today to resume the round, and continue with the same pairings to play as much as possible. The tournament now is to end on Monday.

It helps that the next event is a World Golf Championship about a 90-minute drive down the highway at Doral, and there is no pro-am.

Harrington, the three-time major champion from Ireland, has fallen to No. 297 in the world and couldn't qualify for Doral even if he were to win. He won the Indonesian Open on the Asian Tour at the end of last year, ending a four-year drought dating to another Asian Tour event.

His last PGA Tour victory was his second consecutive major, the 2008 PGA Championship at Oakland Hills. He said the benefit of playing Indonesia was a boost to his confidence, on and off the golf course.

Thanks to nearly four hours of rain delays Friday, Harrington made it through six holes and returned Saturday with back-to-back birdies on the 16th and 17th holes, and then another from about 10 feet on No. 1, posing over just about every shot.

After a bogey set up by a wild tee shot on the par-5 third hole -- he had to pitch down the second fairway because of the trees -- Harrington ran off three consecutive birdies before a few loose tee shots cost him. The rough had become so thick and wet that he couldn't reach the green on his last two holes, making bogeys on both.

He finished at 7-under 133.

"It's nice to be in contention," Harrington said. "I'm very positive about my game coming in here this week. I don't know what's going to happen the next 36 holes, but I have a good idea where I'm going. I'm pretty confident."

Reed finished his 67 on Friday.

Poulter matched the low round of the week at PGA National with a 64 and was two shots back. He holed out for eagle with a sand wedge on the fourth hole and dropped only one shot on the back nine.

Steele's 69 score doesn't reflect his up-and-down day. He didn't make a par until the 10th hole, playing the front nine with six birdies and three bogeys. And then he made nothing but pars on the back nine except for a double bogey on the 16th.

Luke Donald finished his 67 on Friday and was another shot back at 4-under 136.

The cut was at 4-over 144 and didn't include Rory McIlroy. He bogeyed three of his last four holes on Friday for a 74 and missed the cut by three shots.

Phil Mickelson, who had missed two consecutive cuts on the West Coast swing, finished up at 67 on Saturday and was five shots behind.

David Lingmerth (Arkansas Razorbacks) is tied for 38th with a 3-over 143. Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) failed to make the cut.

LPGA

Lewis keeps lead

CHONBURI, Thailand -- Stacy Lewis held on to lead Amy Yang by one stroke at the LPGA Thailand despite a dismal third-round 73 on Saturday.

Leading overnight by three shots after a second-round 64, Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks) had three consecutive bogeys on the front nine before the American made a 5-foot eagle on the 15th hole to regain the lead from South Korea's Yang.

Third-ranked Lewis had five bogeys -- including at the 18th -- and two birdies at the Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course for a three-day total of 13-under 203.

"It was a bit all over the place today," Lewis said. "Hit some good shots, hit some shots too far."

Sandra Gal of Germany shot 68 for third place, a further stroke behind Yang.

Yang bogeyed Nos. 12 and 14 before back-to-back birdies on the 17th and 18th holes saw her finish with a 71.

EUROPEAN PGA

Coetsee leads by 2

JOHANNESBURG -- Wallie Coetsee has a two-shot lead heading into the final round of the Joburg Open after a 2-under 70 on Saturday.

Chasing a first European Tour title, Coetsee extended his overnight lead by a shot with five birdies and two bogeys to go 14 under par at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington.

There are four players tied for second behind him, with fellow South Africans Tjaart van der Walt and Jacques Blaauw, and Englishmen David Howell and Steve Webster 12 under.

Coetsee managed just one birdie in his first nine but recovered to create an advantage for himself heading into Sunday's final round.

He is also chasing a place at the British Open. The leading three finishers in the top 10 at the Joburg Open will qualify.

Sports on 03/01/2015

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