Pádraig Harrington fired a fine 67 at the US Open to move into just outside the top 25 at LA Country Club.
The Dubliner had a slow start on the easier front 9 with seven straight pars, before his first birdie of the day at the par 5 8th. He came to life on the back nine with birdies at the 12th and 15th holes before bogeying the 16th. He parred the last two holes to finish on one under for the tournament.
Shane Lowry got firing on the front 9 on Saturday, with four birdies on his opening nine, with impressive approaches three approaches to within four feet. He struggled a bit on the way in with bogeys at 11, 12 and 16, a sole birdie on the back 9 at the 14th to finish with a two-under-par round of 68, and Even for the tournament.
Rory McIlroy, who is eight under and two shots off Rickie Fowler’s lead, tees off at 11.29pm. Full US Open report to come tomorrow morning.
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On the LPGA Tour, Leona Maguire stayed within two shots of the lead at the Meijer LPGA Classic. The Cavan woman could not match the heroics of Friday when shot a round of 65, but she did get firing with three birdies in a row from holes six to eight, while also birdieing the last for a three-under-par 69. She is 13 under for the tournament, two behind leader Amy Yang. Maguire lost in a playoff to Jennifer Kupcho at this event last year.
On the Ladies European Tour, Olivia Mehaffey slipped five shots off the pace at the Amundi German Masters in Berlin after carding a one-over 73 in her third round.
Leader after round one when she shot a stunning eight-under 64, the Northern Irish golfer got to nine under after a one-under 71 in her second round. But moving day saw Mehaffey slip back to a share of fifth position after a round that started brightly after back-to-back birdies on the fifth and sixth holes moved her to 11 under. A double-bogey six on the eighth brought her back level for her round, and a dropped shot on the 12th saw her sign for a one-over 73.
The 25-year-old lies five shots off joint leaders Cara Gainer of England and and Czechia’s Kristyna Napoleaova.
