Advertisement

Rickie Fowler takes lead at Honda Classic

 
Published Feb. 26, 2017

PALM BEACH GARDENS — Winless in more than a year, Rickie Fowler finished strong Saturday for 5-under 65 and a four-shot lead going into the final round of the Honda Classic.

Fowler, at 13-under 197, made two birdies over the last three holes at relatively benign PGA National as everyone else around him was making mistakes.

Fowler is 0-for-4 in his PGA Tour career when holding the lead, tied or outright, entering the final round.

"A four-shot lead is nice," he said. "That can obviously go away very quickly, too."

England's Tyrrell Hatton, playing his first tour event in Florida, was second after 66.

Ryan Palmer and Wesley Bryan, tied for the lead going into another tame day in South Florida, lost ground over the final two hours.

Palmer played the final 11 holes in 4 over and shot 73, leaving him seven shots behind. Bryan hit consecutive tee shots into the hazard — including on the par-3 15th, leading to double bogey — and he birdied the 18th to salvage 72 and sit six shots back.

Fowler hasn't won since the European Tour's HSBC Championship in January 2016. His last PGA Tour victory was in September 2015 at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

"I definitely need to put myself in this position more often, which is just going to lead to me winning more often," Fowler said. "I'm not going to be able to take a 36- or 54-hole lead every time and win, but the more times I put myself there, the more trophies I get to hold on Sunday."

LPGA: Amy Yang shot 7-under 65 to lead LPGA Thailand by five shots when the darkness-delayed third round was completed today in Chonburi. Yang was at 18-under 198 in the tournament that was behind schedule after rain and unplayable course conditions forced the unfinished second round to be postponed to Saturday and the third round to be suspended later in the day because of darkness. So Yeon Ryu (68) was 13 under. The final round was scheduled to begin later today.