NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. (AP) — Four shots behind at the start of the day, Russell Henley ran off three straight birdies to start the back nine Saturday and posted a 5-under 67 to build a three-shot lead going into the final round of the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek.
Henley had plenty of help from the other players in his group.
Xander Schauffele, who had a three-shot lead going into the weekend, had a pair of late bogeys and failed to capitalize on the par 5s in his round of 74. Tyrrell Hatton didn’t make a birdie until the final hole in a 73. Of the top 25 players, they were the only two who shot over par.
Henley’s putting has been a great fit for the firm, glass-like greens of Shadow Creek. He leads the field in the most important putting category, and it has carried him to only the second 54-hole lead of his PGA Tour career.
Henley was at 15-under 201.
Lanto Griffin, who won his first PGA Tour event a year ago at the Houston Open, found the water off the tee on the par-5 18th and made bogey and still managed a 66. He was at 12-under 204 along with Talor Gooch (69), Jason Kokrak (68) and Schauffele, still in the mix despite a sloppy Saturday.
Hatton was in the group five shots behind with Justin Thomas (68) and Jason Day, who had a 66 as the former world No. 1 tries to end more than two years without a victory.
Henley started to close the gap when he got up-and-down from a bunker in front of the green on the par-5 seventh, and Schauffele missed the green on the par-3 eighth and took bogey.
And when they made the turn, Henley took off.
Champions Tour
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The other left-handed, 50-year-old former Masters champion was on top after a long Saturday at The Country Club of Virginia.
While Phil Mickelson got most of the attention going into the Dominion Energy Charity Classic as he tries to open his senior career with consecutive victories, Mike Weir was a little better on a 36-hole day after rain washed out play Friday. The Canadian shot 68-63 to reach 13 under and take a three-stroke lead over Mickelson into the final round.
Mickelson shot 68-66. He won his PGA Tour Champions debut at Ozarks National in August.
European Tour
FIFE, Scotland (AP) — English golfer Matt Wallace opened up a three-stroke lead after the third round of the Scottish Championship on the European Tour after shooting 6-under 66 on Saturday.
Wallace birdied three of his last five holes to complete a bogey-free round at Fairmont St. Andrews and pull clear of countryman Garrick Porteous, who also shot 66 in the next-to-last group.
Wallace started the day tied for the lead with Spain’s Adrian Otaegui, who shot 70 and dropped four strokes off the pace.
The only other player within five shots of Wallace is Sean Crocker of the United States, after his 67.
The 51st-ranked Wallace is a four-time European Tour winner. Three of those victories came in 2018.