BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Adam Scott and Marc Leishman were two strokes off the lead heading into Sunday’s final round of the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland.
The Australian veterans rarely play back home due to Scott’s reduced PGA schedule and Leishman’s tenure on the LIV Tour. And there are only two high-level pro tournaments left in Australia, this week’s PGA and next week’s Australian Open at Royal Melbourne.
The 45-year-old Scott shot a 5-under 66 Saturday and 42-year-old Leishman 67 and were tied for sixth place.
The third-round lead was held by three players — European tour regulars David Puig (65) and Ricardo Gouveia (66) and Australian Anthony Quayle (67), who had former Tiger Woods caddie Steve Williams on his bag.
The trio had a 54-hole total of 13-under 200.
“I was very consistent of the tee and I hit a lot of greens, which is important on a course like this,” said Gouveia.
Min Woo Lee (67) and second-round leader Kazuma Kobori (68) were a stroke back of the leaders and tied for fourth.
Scott said he’ll need a final-round “beauty” to catch the leaders.
The former world No. 1 and 2013 Masters champion had eight birdies with three bogeys. Scott has 32 victories worldwide but hasn’t won a 72-hole event since claiming the Genesis Invitational in 2020.
“It’s hard to complain about 66,” he said. “I’m going to have to have a really good round. A strong front nine to put myself in it and then maybe, if I can get my name up the top with seven or eight to go.
“But I’ll have to close well too. I’m chasing. I can’t stall out. It’s too bunched, it’s going to have to be a beauty tomorrow. But I’ve put myself in a decent position.”
Players had to overcome yet another thunderstorm delay. After storms suspended play Thursday and forced nearly half the field to finish their first round on Friday, thunderstorms caused a two-hour suspension on Saturday.
The side benefit was that the greens were soft from the rain and lift, clean and place rules on the fairways were in effect, leading to lower scores.
Geoff Ogilvy, the 2006 U.S. Open champion who will captain the International team in next year’s Presidents Cup at Medinah in Chicago, shot 66 and was at 10-under, three behind the leaders.
The Australian PGA is co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australia and the European tour, which is starting its 2025-26 season just two weeks after Rory McIlroy won the Race to Dubai title.
McIlroy will highlight the field in next week’s Australian Open.
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
The Associated Press
