Golf roundup: Garcia shoots 66, takes 1-stroke lead at Wyndham

Associated Press Sergio Garcia shot a 4-
under 66 on Saturday to take the lead at 14-under 196 after three rounds at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C. Tim Clark and Bud Cauley were a stroke back, with Jason Dufner, Harris English and Carl Pettersson at 12 under entering the final round of the last event before the FedEx Cup playoffs. Dufner shot a 63; Cauley had a 66; Clark, a 67; and English and Pettersson, 68s. Garcia — whose second-round 63 marked his best PGA Tour round in a decade — made a move with consecutive birdies midway through the back nine that briefly helped him leapfrog his playing partner, Clark. Garcia plopped his tee shot 4 feet from the flagstick on the par-3 12th and tapped in, then followed that with a birdie on No. 13 to move to 14 under. Then, after his second bogey of the tournament, he bounced back with a birdie on No. 15. Clark might have had the lead comfortably to himself, had he not missed short birdie putts on consecutive holes midway through the back nine. Instead, he’ll have to settle for a share of second place with Cauley, who had three straight late birdies. It’s usually a birdiefest every August at this Donald Ross course, but for most players, it seems to be playing a little tougher this year. The cut of 1 under was the event’s highest since it moved to Sedgefield in 2008. Webb Simpson, a native North Carolinian who won the U.S. Open in June, won it at 18 under last year and came back to defend a title for the first time in his short career. Simpson started one stroke back and a short while after his birdie on the par-5 No. 5 — the most frequently eagled hole on the course this week — was part of a six-man logjam that shared the lead at 12 under. Joining him were English, Clark, Garcia, Pettersson and second-round leader Jimmy Walker. English was the first to backslide with a bogey on No. 11. Walker fell off the pace with a bogey on No. 10. Simpson ran into big trouble late in his round with consecutive bogeys, sending his tee shot on No. 15 into some deep rough and then three-putting on No. 16, and his 71 dropped him 4 strokes back.

Sergio Garcia, of Spain, watches a tee shot from the second tee during the third round of the Wyndham Championship golf tournament in Greensboro, N.C., Saturday, Aug. 18, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

View More Photos >>

Golf roundup: Garcia shoots 66, takes 1-stroke lead at Wyndham August 19,2012 04:01 AM GMT Associated Press Copyright � 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,broadcast, rewritten or redistributed..

LPGA Tour

Japan’s Mika Miyazato shot a 4-under 68 to take a 2-stroke lead after the second round of the LPGA Tour’s Safeway Classic in North Plains, Ore.

Miyazato, tied for the first-round lead with Sydnee Michaels after a 65, had an 11-under 133 total on Pumpkin Ridge’s Ghost Creek Course.

South Korea’s So Yeon Ryu, the Toledo Classic winner last week, was second after a 68. Ryu and Miyazato, winless in her four seasons on the LPGA Tour, will be paired together again today after playing in the same group the first two days.

Cristie Kerr and Inbee Park shot 70 to reach 8 under, and Michaels had a 72 to join top-ranked Yani Tseng and Paula Creamer at 7 under. Tseng had a 67, and Creamer shot a 69.

Michelle Wie was tied for 11th at 5 under after a 70.

Champions Tour

Defending champion John Huston shot a 5-under 67 to take a 1-stroke lead over Brad Faxon after the second round of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open in Endicott, N.Y.

Huston had a 12-under 132 total in the Champion Tour event at En-Joie Golf Club. Faxon shot a 66.

Faxon had eight birdies and one-putted 12 greens.

Willie Wood and Peter Senior were three strokes back at 9 under. Wood had a 68, and Senior shot 67.

U.S. Amateur

Michael Weaver opened a big lead and hung on to beat Justin Thomas 3-and-2 to advance to the final of the U.S. Amateur championship at the Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colo.

Weaver will face Steven Fox in today’s 36-hole match-play championship. Fox won his semifinal 2-up over Brandon Hagy, who is Weaver’s teammate at the University of California at Berkeley.