By Mark Lamport-Stokes
AKRON, Ohio Aug 4 (Reuters) – American Jim Furyk, seeking
his first PGA Tour victory in two years, survived a testing back
nine to cling on to the lead in Saturday’s third round of the
WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
Two shots ahead overnight, Furyk briefly led by five before
ending a muggy and increasingly breezy day at Firestone Country
Club one stroke clear of the chasing pack.
The veteran American carded a level-par 70 on the
challenging South Course to finish at 11-under 199, one ahead of
South African Louis Oosthuizen, who fired a three-birdie 68.
American Keegan Bradley, who will defend his PGA
Championship title at Kiawah Island in South Carolina next week,
was a further three strokes back at seven under after carding a
67.
Tiger Woods, in pursuit of a record eighth Bridgestone
Invitational crown, rebounded from two days of putting woes at
Firestone to shoot a 68 for a level-par total of 210, a distant
11 shots off the pace.
Furyk, who clinched the most recent of his 16 PGA Tour
victories at the 2010 season-ending Tour Championship, made a
good start to the third round, a birdie at the par-five second
putting him four ahead.
When Oosthuizen bogeyed the par-four eighth, Furyk’s lead
increased to five but the South African immediately recovered
with a birdie at the ninth to reach the turn in even-par 35.
Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, picked up
further shots at the par-three 12th, where he drained a
25-footer, and the 16th to close the gap while Furyk bogeyed the
12th after missing the green to the right off the tee.
Continued…
