Bradley Clings To Lead At HP Byron Nelson
Despite a bogey on the 18th hole for the third-consecutive day, Keegan Bradley carded a 2-under 68 on Sunday to cling to a one-stroke lead with 18 holes to play at the HP Byron Nelson Championship.
This marks the second time Bradley has entered the final round with at least a share of the lead. The first came at the 2012 Northern Trust Open where he entered the final round tied with Phil Mickelson. A final-round even-par 71 led to a three-way playoff with Bill Haas defeating both third-round leaders.
Bradley sits at 13-under 197 through three rounds.
Only two players have won the tournament in wire-to-wire fashion – Mark Hayes in 1976 and Tom Watson in 1980.
Sang-Moon Bae carded a third-consecutive 4-under 66 to play his way into the final pairing with Keegan Bradley. By comparison, his best position entering the final round during his PGA TOUR career was T3 at the 2012 Tampa Bay Championship. He followed with a 3-under 68 to finish T2, losing in a playoff.
Bae is making his first start at the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Two of the last three champions of the HP Byron Nelson Championship won in their first start (Jason Day/2010, Keegan Bradley/2011).
Tom Gillis holed out from 46 feet from the greenside bunker on No. 18 to finish with
a 3-under 67, moving to 11-under 199 and two strokes behind tournament-leader Keegan Bradley.
Gillis is making his 150th start on TOUR this week. His best finish on TOUR is a T2 at the 2012 Honda Classic. He won the 2009 Web.com Tour Players Cup.
Jason Dufner sits T32 in his bid to become the first repeat winner of the HP Byron Nelson Championship since Tom Watson won three in a row from 1978-80.
Players will wear red ribbons on Sunday in remembrance of World Golf Hall of Fame member and 14-time PGA TOUR winner Ken Venturi, who passed away on Friday.
PGA TOUR statement on the passing of Venturi: “The PGA TOUR joins the world of golf in mourning the loss of one of its most treasured champions and ambassadors, Ken Venturi. His impact on the TOUR and the game itself cannot be overstated. His tremendous accomplishments on the golf course were certainly Hall of Fame worthy on their own, but in Ken one finds a rare example of a golfer whose second career, in television, rivaled the legendary status of his competitive achievements. His unique perspective and poetic delivery as an announcer enhanced countless memorable moments in golf, making his voice and presence as in indelible as the historic tournaments he covered. Ken will forever be remembered as a consummate gentleman, and he will be truly missed.”
