Steven Bowditch shot a 4-under 65 on Saturday in the AT&T Byron Nelson to take a two-stroke lead and leave hometown favorite Jordan Spieth six shots back heading into the final round in Irving, Texas.
On a mostly sunny day that started with the second straight three-hour delay because of earlier rain, Bowditch got to 13-under 195. The Australian won the Texas Open last year in San Antonio for his lone PGA Tour title.
Dustin Johnson was in the group tied for second after the day’s low round of 62 on the rain-altered par 69 at TPC Four Seasons.
Jonathan Randolph, playing with Spieth and sitting 266 spots behind him in the world ranking, briefly held the lead but went in the water on 18 for a double bogey that dropped him into a tie with Johnson, Texan Jimmy Walker, Scott Pinckney and Jon Curran. Pinckney shot 64, Randolph 65, and Walker and Curran 67.
Spieth had a 68. The Masters champion was tied for 18th.
Clouds gradually disappeared during the afternoon and the forecast is clear for Sunday. But the course is still soggy enough that the normally par-4 14th will remain a pitch-and-putt par 3 barely longer than 100 yards for the third straight round.
PGA Tour officials believe it’s the first par-69 course in records going back to 1983. Threesomes will play off both tees again Sunday, and the final par total will be 277 after the first round played at the normal 70.
LPGA Tour: Morgan Pressel kept her patience despite a steady breeze and greens that grew bumpy, shooting a 2-under 69 to maintain a one-stroke lead in the ShopRite LPGA Classic in Galloway Township, New Jersey. The 27-year-old American had three birdies and a bogey to reach 7-under 135.
Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist was second. She birdied the last three holes for a 69. U.S. Open champion Michelle Wie missed the cut with a 72 and 4-over 146 total.
