Scott leads PGA’s Byron Nelson Championship
Published 11:27 pm Saturday, April 26, 2008
IRVING, Texas — Adam Scott figured there was no point wasting his good play to take money from his mates in Australia. So he cut short his trip home to get back on the PGA Tour.
“I came here to get in contention and win a golf tournament,” said Scott, who stayed home only a week after the Masters. “I feel like I’ve been playing well this year and haven’t quite done it. So I’m kind of pushing myself a little bit to do that.”
He only needs one more good round to win the EDS Byron Nelson Championship.
Scott took a three-stroke lead into the final round after a 3-under 67 Saturday got him to 8-under 202. He birdied two of the last three holes, including a 3½-footer at the 429-yard 18th.
“It all depends on Adam,” said Bart Bryant, among the quartet of players three strokes behind. “Obviously, he’s a world-class player. He has the potential to go out and kind of run away with it.”
Scott, at No. 10 in the world the highest-ranked player in the field, again topped the leaderboard after his solid finish Saturday, and Kevin Sutherland’s bad one.
Sutherland, whose only PGA Tour victory came six years ago, was at 7 under with a one-stroke lead over Scott until bogeys on the final two holes.
After missing a 7-foot par putt on the 198-yard 17th hole, Sutherland pushed his final tee shot way right into heavy rough — and was still in the rough after his punch shot. He finally got to the front edge of the green and two-putted from 70 feet.
“I have to remember what I did before that,” Sutherland said. “I had a good rhythm going, a good feeling and tried to keep doing that. … I kind of got away from that maybe at the end.”
Sutherland (67), Bryant (67), Charley Hoffman (68) and Ryan Moore (68) made up the closest group chasing Scott. Sergio Garcia, after a season-best 65, was four strokes back along with Dudley Hart (66) and Jesper Parnevik (68).
Other tournaments
Stanford International Pro-Am: At Aventura, Fla., Annika Sorenstam shot a 1-under 70 to take a one-shot lead over Paula Creamer after three rounds of the Stanford International Pro-Am. Sorenstam, seeking her 71st LPGA Tour victory, has won five straight events when she’s taken a one-shot lead into the final round. Second-round leader Young Kim (73) and Momeko Ueda (67) were two strokes back.
Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf: At Savannah, Ga., no wonder Tom Watson and Andy North campaigned so hard for a return to team play in the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf. Watson and North combined for a better-ball 62 at The Club at Savannah Harbor for a 23-under 121 total and a four-stroke lead heading into the final round. Brad Bryant and Lonnie Nielsen (60) were tied for second with Jeff Sluman and Craig Stadler (63).
