PADRAIG HARRINGTON IS in a tie for sixth after the second round of his Champions Tour event in Florida.
Seeking his fourth win of the season, leader Steve Stricker played his final six holes in 5-under en route to a tournament-record 8-under 64.
Stricker enters today’s final round with a three-stroke lead over tournament host Jim Furyk and Canada’s Mike Weir.
Harrington is one of five players in a tie for sixth at 6-under, including 43-time Champions Tour winner Bernhard Langer, Charles Schwab and first-round co-leaders Steve Flesch and Rob Labritz, as well as Ken Duke.
The Irishman got off to a fine start birdying four of the first six holes – although there was also a bogey sandwiched in between some low scoring.
A second bogey on 8 meant he dropped to 2-under for the day, 5-under for the tournament, going out in 34.
He produced some superb golf at times on the back nine, a lengthy tee shot preceding a chip and a putt for a birdie on 12, some good course management resulting in a birdie on the par-5 13th before two bogeys followed.
However, he found form again at the last rolling in a 12-footer to sign for a 69.
Ulster’s Stephanie Meadow is in a tie for ninth after a belated run of form in her third round at the LPGA Mediheal Championship.
Her 1-under round of 71 leaves her on seven-under for the tournament, in a tie for ninth with four other players.
After a poor start to her round when she had bogeys on the second and third, Meadow found consistency thereafter, posting 10 straight pars, before she had birdies on three of the last five holes, the par 5s at 14 and 18 and the par-4, 17th.
Her chances of a lower score were ruined by the fact she hit only 11 greens in regulation, two fewer than she managed in her second round, three fewer than she delivered in her opening round.
Still, she is seven off the lead, held by England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff who fired a three-under par 69 to maintain a four-stroke lead over South African Paula Reto.
The 34-year-old Shadoff, chasing a first wire-to-wire victory, stood on 14-under 202 after 54 holes at The Saticoy Club in Somis, west of Los Angeles.
Shadoff made birdies at the par-5 sixth and par-4 seventh and added another at the par-5 14th in a bogey-free round.
“Overall I feel really comfortable with how I’m hitting the ball,” Shadoff said. “I hit my driver really well again today. I hit a lot of greens again and I think my speed putting was really good.”
World number 93 Shadoff has not won a title in 12 LPGA seasons but was third at June’s ShopRite Classic, her best result since a runner-up effort at the 2017 British Women’s Open.
“Anything can happen on a Sunday,” Shadoff said. “Four shots is nice but there are world-class players around me so I just have to stick to my game, concentrate on my game and stay in the moment.”
Meanwhile, on the PGA Tour, Patrick Cantlay and Korea’s Tom Kim share the overnight lead on 19-under at the Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas.
Waterford’s Seamus Power missed the cut, which was set at four-under, by one shot.
Leading scores after Saturday’s third round of the LPGA Mediheal Championship (par-72; USA unless stated):
202 – Jodi Ewart Shadoff (ENG) 64-69-69
206 – Paula Reto (RSA) 67-70-69
207 – Andrea Lee 71-70-66, Celine Boutier (FRA) 69-72-66, Hinako Shibuno (JPN) 73-66-68
208 – Yuka Saso (JPN) 70-70-68, Danielle Kang 73-67-68, Lin Xiyu (CHN) 69-69-70
209 – Lauren Coughlin 70-71-68, Daniela Darquea (ECU) 71-69-69, Gaby Lopez (MEX) 68-70-71, Stephanie Meadow (NIR) 68-70-71
