OPELIKA, Ala. — Scott Piercy won the Barbasol Championship on Sunday for his third PGA Tour title, closing with a 6-under 65 for a three-stroke victory.

The 36-year-old Las Vegas player made a 57-foot birdie putt on the second hole en route to his first victory since the 2012 RBC Canadian Open. Tied for the third-round lead with Ricky Barnes, Piercy birdied three of four holes starting on No. 13 and finished at 19 under on Grand National’s Lake Course.

“I struck it beautifully all week and made enough putts to get it done,” Piercy said.

He began the season on a major medical extension after surgery on his right arm early last year, sparking initial fears about how he’d fare upon his return.

“It’s been a long road,” Piercy said. “My whole goal after coming back from surgery was to come back better. The way I played (Sunday) compared to my last two victories was a lot better.

“I struck the ball so well, so I’d say I’m kind of right where I imagined I would be.

He had also finished second at the Sony Open in Hawaii before capturing the inaugural Alabama event for players who didn’t make the British Open field.

Piercy had a bogey and double bogey on the first four holes Thursday after arriving the previous morning and not getting in a practice round. He appeared quite comfortable on the course after that.

Birmingham native Will Wilcox was second after a 67, virtually guaranteeing a PGA Tour card for next season in just 13 starts. It was his second straight top-10 finish.

“That’s something I never thought in a million years I would have done,” he said.

Wilcox closed with two straight birdies, pumping his fists and hollering after sinking a 60-foot birdie putt on the closing hole. The former UAB player had once made dough at a local pizza place during a short time living in neighboring Auburn and estimated he had 50-60 friends and family members on hand.

“Having my family here, you always dream about doing something like that in front of them,” Wilcox said. “Just the good vibes were flowing this week. It just worked out so well. My aunt and uncles, they’d never seen me play. The fact that I could finish solo second in front of them was pretty shocking.”

Barnes, University of Alabama junior Robby Shelton and South Korea’s Whee Kim tied for third at 14 under. Shelton shot 67, Kim 69, and Barnes 70.

Shelton, a two-time All-American, had four straight rounds in the 60s.

“It was amazing,” said Shelton, from Mobile. “I played well, that’s all I could ask for. To do this with a sponsor exemption, it’s great. I mean, I’m speechless right now.”

Barnes was seeking his first PGA Tour victory in 202 starts, but finished with a 70 and bogeyed the final hole. It was his best finish since taking second at the 2009 U.S. Open, the only other time he shared a 54-hole lead.

The round was delayed 1 hour, 20 minutes because of rain and lightning before the leaders teed off.

Canadian Roger Sloan posted an even-par 71 today to finish at 5-under for the competition and T48.

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – For a place dripping with centuries of history, St. Andrews got more than it could have wanted Sunday.

Jordan Spieth punched his golf bag in frustration after a careless bogey, perhaps sensing the British Open was slipping away. Just like that, and because this is what Spieth does in big moments, he salvaged his bid for a Grand Slam. He made three straight birdies. He took 10 putts on the inward nine. And when he walked off the 18th green, he had a 6-under 66 and was one shot behind with one round left.

“I’m going to play to win,” Spieth said. “I’m not playing for a place. I don’t want to place third tomorrow. I want to win.”

But if there is history in the making at the home of golf, it no longer has to come from just Spieth.

Fans who filled the two-story grandstand and watched from the tops of buildings on Golf Place witnessed a moment not seen at St. Andrews in 88 years – an amateur in the lead going into the final round of the British Open.

Paul Dunne, the 22-year-old from Ireland, rolled in putts like this was the prestigious St. Andrews Links Trophy for amateurs instead of the oldest championship in golf. He played bogey-free for a 66 and shared the lead with former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen and Jason Day.

Bobby Jones is the last amateur to win the British Open in 1930 when he came from one shot behind in the final round. He was the last amateur to lead after 54 holes three years earlier at St. Andrews, and he won the claret jug that year, too.

Can it happen again?

“It’s surreal I’m leading the Open, but I can easily believe that I shot the three scores that I shot,” Dunne said. “If we were playing an amateur event here, I wouldn’t be too surprised by the scores I shot. It’s just lucky that it happens to be in the biggest event in the world.

“Hopefully, I can do it again tomorrow,” he said. “But whether I do or not, I’ll survive either way.”

The way the weather-delayed Open ended on Sunday, expect just about anything.

Oosthuizen, the last player to lift the claret jug at St. Andrews in 2010 and a runner-up at the U.S. Open last month, birdied three of his last five holes for a 67. Day is just as big of a threat. He shot 67 and shared the lead for the second straight major, and he has challenged in four of them since 2011.

They were at 12-under 214, one shot ahead of Spieth with plenty of others that cannot be dismissed Fourteen players were separated by three shots. Half of them were major champions, and there was yet another amateur among them – 21-year-old Jordan Niebrugge of Oklahoma State.

Such an opportunity might not come around again for Spieth. Only three other players won the first two legs of the Grand Slam since the modern version began in 1960. Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods only got one shot at it, and none ever started the final round of the British Open so close to the lead.

And so it was Spieth, a 21-year-old Texan with an uncanny sense of occasion, who brought the gray, old town to life in a mixture of sunshine and rain. He rolled in birdie putts on the 10th, 11th and 12th holes to share the lead. He saved par from the high grass on the 13th, stuffed his approach to 4 feet for birdie on the 15th and made another tough par save on the Road Hole at the 17th.

A victory would send him to the PGA Championship with a shot at the Grand Slam, and at worse put him in elite company. Ben Hogan in 1953 is the only other player to capture the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open in the same year.

“Only one person has ever done it before. That opportunity very rarely comes around,” Spieth said. “And I’d like to have a chance to do something nobody has ever done. … To be able to go into the last major and accomplish something that’s never been done in our sport is something that only comes around to a couple people ever. And I’d like to be one of those people to have that happen.”

Rarely has the Old Course been as easy as it was Sunday.

One day after raging wind off the Eden Estuary caused a 10-hour delay and forced a Monday finish, the flags were soaked from passing showers and limp from no wind. The leaderboards were loaded with birdies, and seven players had at least a share of the lead at some point in the third round.

That’s what made Dustin Johnson’s collapse so shocking. With a one-shot lead after powering his way around St. Andrews for 36 holes, he was the last player in the field to make a birdie Sunday, and that wasn’t until the 15th hole. He followed with three straight bogeys for a 75 to fall five shots behind.

Spieth, the youngest professional in the field, seemed calm despite the historic moment in front of him.

His goal at the start of the week was to treat the British Open like any other tournament he was trying to win. Even during the long delay on Saturday, he said he hasn’t thought much about the slam. There is no escaping it now, and Spieth doesn’t see that as a problem.

“If I have a chance coming down the stretch, if it creeps in, I’ll embrace it,” he said. “I’ll embrace the opportunity that presents itself. As far as handling it, I don’t look at it as a negative thing. I look at it almost as an advantage. Why should it add more pressure in a negative way?”

SYLVANIA, Ohio — Ji Leon Choi promised his daughter he would caddie for her until she won the LPGA Tour.

Chella Choi isn’t so sure she’s ready to break up the team after winning the Marathon Classic on Sunday.

“My father wants to retire because we promise, but I don’t know,” Choi said. “We will talk later.”

The 24-year-old South Korean player broke through in her 157th start on the tour, beating compatriot Ha Na Jang with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff.

“You know, first time win is hard,” Choi said. “I cannot believe it. Hopefully, this is a turning point for me. … It’s been a long time, seven years. So, I was really, really excited and happy.”

In the playoff on the par-5 18th, Choi chipped onto the green from 87 yards and two-putted from 25 yards for the par – holing a 1-footer for the victory. Jang bogeyed the hole after hitting approach long into high rough.

Choi closed with a 5-under 66 to match Jang at 14-under 270. Jang, the leader after each of the first three round, finished with a 68.

Jang didn’t speak to the media after the round.

Choi opened with a 73, then moved into contention with rounds of 66 and 65.

“I made just made one birdie on Thursday,” Choi said.

Her father was a police officer before joining her on the course.

“I work with my father eight years and somebody say like that’s why I don’t win, just for my caddie,” Choi said. “So I’m so exciting with my father.”

Choi earned $225,000. She will jump from 40th to 25th in the world ranking.

Second-ranked Lydia Ko, the winner last year, had a 67 to tie for second with Shanshan Feng at 13 under. Fend also shot 67.

“I’m happy that I could give it a run for it to defend the title,” Ko said. “Seeing how average my first day score was, to be top five or whatever, I think it’s a good finish for the week.

“I played really solid the front nine, and that’s all I could really do. I know it would have been great if I could continue that on the back nine, but it just wasn’t going.”

Playing a group in front of the leaders, Ko was looking for a birdie on No. 18 to reach 14 under, but made a par.

“I hit a great 3-wood off the tee and miss-hit it on the second shot,” Ko said. “I guess it’s not the worst place to be, but it’s not the best place to be either.”

Top-ranked Inbee Park tied for eighth at 10 under after a 70 while the top Canadian in the field was Alena Sharp who finished tied for 22nd.

THUNDER BAY, Ont. — Newport Beach, California’s J.J. Spaun broke through for his first Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada win on Sunday, shooting a final round 5-under 67 to win the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel.

The 24-year old moves into the top spot on the season-long Order of Merit with $70,263, earning an exemption into the RBC Canadian Open to make his PGA TOUR debut next week at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

“It’s a huge relief. I knew if I at least made pars on my way in I’d have some sort of chance at winning,” said Spaun, who finished at 18-under par, one shot ahead of Moscow, Pennsylvania’s Nicholas Reach. “I’ve put in a lot of hard work. I had to change a few things with my regimen and putting my career in the top priority spot, and it shows that the hard work has been paying off.”

The win gives Spaun a $25,813 lead atop the Order of Merit over Drew Weaver, who will join Spaun next week at Glen Abbey along with Albin Choi as the top three players on the season-long money list. The San Diego State University grad has been the most consistent player on the Mackenzie Tour this season, never finishing outside the top-16 and posting five straight 10 finishes capped off by the win.

“I’m in a good position. I’ve got to keep playing solid and keep that top spot under my belt and see how it goes,” said Spaun of the season-long quest to earn status on the Web.com Tour.

Starting the day one shot off the lead held by Corey Conners, Clayton Rask, David McKenzie and Chase Marinell, Spaun came out of the gate quickly with birdies on his first two holes to grab the early lead. After Reach made eagle on the 72^nd hole to post 17-under par as the clubhouse lead, Spaun responded with four birdies in five holes, including three in a row on holes 12-14 to take control of the lead.

“I’ve been playing well enough where I don’t make many mistakes, and fortunately making a lot of birdies as well. I’ve been playing solid, and eliminating the mistakes has been key for how I’ve been playing lately,” said Spaun, who has seen a remarkable turnaround from a dismal 2014 season that saw him miss six of seven cuts and return to Q-School this Spring. Since a T8 finish there, Spaun has been on a tear to build his Order of Merit lead and put himself in excellent position to earn status on the Web.com Tour for next season.

“Now it’s just kind of stress-free golf and going out and having fun. The hard work has kind of been taken care of and it’s time to go out and cruise,” said Spaun.

Reach, a University of Georgia graduate and a rookie on the Mackenzie Tour, notched his best finish as a pro along with Conners, who will play at the RBC Canadian Open on a sponsor’s exemption alongside fellow Golf Canada Young Pro Squad and Mackenzie Tour members Taylor Pendrith and Adam Svensson.

HAYWARD, Calif. — South Korea’s Si Woo Kim won the Stonebrae Classic on Sunday for his first Web.com Tour title, birdieing the first hole of a playoff with Jamie Lovemark and Wes Roach.

The 20-year-old Kim is the second-youngest winner in Web.com Tour history. Jason Day was 19 when he won the 2007 Legend Financial Group Classic in Ohio.

Kim won with a 3-foot putt on the par-5 18th after pitching from 50 yards.

“Walking up to the green, I felt good,” Kim said through a translator. “I knew that line.”

Kim closed with a 2-under 68 to match Lovemark and Roach at 12-under 268 at TPC Stonebrae. The three players began the round tied for the lead.

Lovemark, playing a group ahead of Kim and Roach, bogeyed the par-5 18th in regulation to fall into a tie. Kim and Roach followed with pars, with Kim missing a 3-footer for birdie.

“I was happy to have another try,” Kim said. “I was very fortunate. This is very big for me.”

Kim earned $108,000 to jump from 67th to 16th on the money list with $162,350. The top 25 after the final five events in the regular season will earn PGA Tour cards.

Roach and Lovemark each made $52,800. Roach went from seventh to third with $236,516, more than enough for a PGA Tour card. He won the El Bosque Mexico Championship in April.

Lovemark jumped from 26th to 11th at $164,921.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – In just her fourth event as a professional golfer, Annie Park (Levittown, N.Y.) gutted out her first victory by the narrowest of margins in the final round of the Toyota Danielle Downey Classic at Brook-Lea Country Club on Sunday. She posted a 4-under 68 and survived a late rally from 2011 Solheim Cup member Vicky Hurst (Melbourne, Fla.) to win at 16-under 272, one stroke ahead of Hurst.

“I’m speechless, this is my first professional win and it has been happening all so fast,” said 20-year-old Park. “For me to win this tournament is crazy right now.”

Park becomes the second native New Yorker to win in the storied history of Rochester professional golf. Dottie Pepper (Saratoga) won the 1996 Rochester Invitational.

The former NCAA national champion (2013) was challenged early and late by Hurst, who made birdie on the second hole to cut the deficit to two shots. Composed beyond her years and experience, Park responded with birdies on the third, fourth and sixth holes to get to 15-under and a four shot lead.

At the turn, Park held a four shot lead. Hurst made up ground with an eagle on the 10th hole. Park made bogey on the 13th and all of a sudden the lead was back down to two shots. On the 15th hole, Hurst rolled in a birdie to cut the deficit to one shot. Park misjudged the wind on 17 and 18 and had to make two very difficult up-and-down pars to hold off Hurst.

“I knew Vicky is a phenomenal player and I knew she was going to play great today, she was putting so well,” said Park. “I miscalculated yardages on 16, 17 and 18, but for me to make that 7-foot par putt on 17 was shocking to me. I was like ‘yes, I made it’.”

With a one shot lead, Park left her tee shot on the par-3 18th hole short and it rolled down the classic Donald Ross designed front slope. She chipped up to a foot and tapped in for par. Hurst missed a 15-foot putt that would have forced a playoff.

“I don’t know how I converted that chip shot,” said Park with a wide smile. “I thought Vicky was going to make the putt so I was ready for a playoff, but I am just speechless.”

Park said that this round was one of the best of her life considering all the circumstances.

“Every shot was some of the shots of my life,” said the former USC Trojans golfer. “If I had to pick one shot, it was the par putt on 17, that was so nerve-racking.”

The first place payout vaults Park from 93rd on the Volvik Race for the Card money list to 17th with nine events remaining in the season.

Park is the third rookie to win on the Symetra Tour this season (Augusta James – Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial and Haruka Morita-WanyaoLu – Symetra Classic). Park is now third amongst rookies in earnings behind Morita-WanyaoLu and James, who are both inside the top 10.

Nancy Lopez, who was the honorary host of the event, addressed the packed crowd on the 18th green during the trophy ceremony. When Park spoke, she said that she wrote an autobiography on Lopez during her sophomore year of high school.

“Growing up, I looked up to Annika Sorenstam and Nancy Lopez,” said Park. “I did a lot of research on her and it was great to be able to meet her in person today.”

Hurst’s second place finish skyrockets her from 127th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list to 30th. Maude-Aimee Leblanc turned in a 4-under 68 on Sunday to finish in a tie for third at 8-under 280. She moves from 13th to eighth on the money list.

BROOKE HENDERSON TIES ROUND OF TOURNAMENT: Brooke Henderson (Smiths Falls, Ontario) wasn’t thrilled with her first three rounds of the Toyota Danielle Downey Classic. She admitted making mistakes she doesn’t normally. On Sunday, she posted a 6-under 66 to tie the low round of the tournament and finish in a tie for seventh at 7-under 281.

“It was a lot fun today, it wasn’t anything special until the back nine when I made some birdies late and I had my cousin on the bag and he gave me a lot of good reads,” said Henderson. “It is always awesome to be able to finish strong on Sunday.”

Henderson, who started on the back nine, made three birdies and an eagle on hole seven on her second nine. She started the day in a tie for 34th.

“I wasn’t super happy with the way I played this week, I made mistakes I don’t normally,” said Henderson. “I got a little more focused today and I was able to dial it in a little better and it is really good momentum moving forward.”’

Henderson will play in the Fuccillo Kia Championship at Capital Hills on the Symetra Tour next week in Albany.

“Every week, I’m trying to get a little better and improve on some things,” said Henderson, who has the RICOH Women’s British Open in two weeks. “Next week, I’ll really have to take good notes during the practice rounds and continue to gain more knowledge as the week progresses.”

Henderson is now 39th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list.

Fellow Canadian Sara-Maude Juneau finished alongside Henderson at T7 with a final round 70. Natalie Gleadall finished T10 with a final round 68.

The final four players joining the 2015 RBC Canadian Open field will be determined Monday following the conclusion of final qualifying play at Heron Point Golf Links in Alberton, Ont.

Sixty-three players, many of whom have earned their way via the three regional qualifying events across Canada, will battle over 18 holes of stroke-play in hopes of competing in the 2015 RBC Canadian Open being held July 20-26 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

A total of 38 Canadians will take to Heron Point on Monday, including Team Canada Young Pro Squad members Albin Choi of Toronto and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont. Also looking to join the 14 Canadians already confirmed as part of the RBC Canadian Open field are Team Canada Development Squad member Étienne Papineau of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., and Danny King of Milton, Ont., who recently captured the PGA of Canada and PGA of Ontario Championships.

Click here for pairings, start times and results for RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifying on Monday, July 20. Live scoring will not be available and results will be available as players complete their rounds.

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – Even with 155 years of history, the British Open can still serve up some strange twists at St. Andrews.

Dustin Johnson gave Saturday some semblance of order.

The second round lasted nearly 39 hours from the first tee shot to the final putt. Brooks Koepka hit one putt in 30 minutes, and he might still be on the 11th green except that he refused to keep going because his golf ball wouldn’t stay put. Jordan Spieth, who won the Masters and U.S. Open on the strength of his great short game, three-putted five times in one round and still kept alive his hopes of a Grand Slam.

If that wasn’t enough, 40 mph gusts that led to a 10 1/2-hour stoppage meant the British Open will end on Monday for the first time in 27 years.

For all the chaos on the Old Course, and for all the debate whether play should have even started Saturday because of the wind, Johnson only cared about the finish. He drove the 18th green and took two putts from 150 feet for birdie and a 3-under 69.

That gave him a one-shot lead over Danny Willett of England, who for the second straight year did not hit a single shot in the British Open on Saturday. Last year it was because he missed the cut. This time it was because he finished his second round Friday.

Not so unusual – at least not now – was Tiger Woods. He missed the cut for the third time in the last four majors.

One month after a three-putt from 12 feet cost him a shot at the U.S. Open, Johnson walked the Old Course with a swagger. He did enough damage over 13 holes Friday that even a couple of bogeys didn’t get him off track, and he showed in the short time he played Saturday he could handle the wind.

“Every aspect of your game is challenged,” said Johnson, who was at 10-under 134.

Paul Lawrie, the 46-year-old Scot who won a crazy Open at Carnoustie in 1999, played bogey-free over the final 14 holes for a 70 and was two shots behind. Louis Oosthuizen (70) and Jason Day (71) joined the large group at 7-under 137 that included Adam Scott and Zach Johnson, who finished Friday.

Spieth, going after the third leg of the Grand Slam, shot 72 and was five behind.

As gusts began to top 40 mph when the second round resumed in the morning, Johnson chose to chip up the steep slope at the front of the par-5 14th green. He didn’t hit quite hard enough. And then, the player with a reputation of being it too much of a hurry at the majors made the mistake of taking his time. An inch away from placing his coin behind the ball to mark it, a gust moved his ball and it picked up enough momentum to roll off the green and cause Spieth race toward his ball and then jump out of the way.

“My coin was about to hit the ground when it took off,” Johnson said. “Then I went to mark it again, and it took off again. And then Jordan was running to his ball. It was pretty funny. I was laughing at him. I wasn’t laughing at myself.”

Three putts later, Johnson had his second bogey of the week. One hole later, the R&A realized it was too windy to continue.

Johnson returned nearly 11 hours later, made two solid pars and finished with his birdie. It was the fourth time in the last six rounds at the majors that he has had at least a share of lead, though not when it mattered – at the end.

This might be his best chance yet.

Spieth three-putted for par on the 14th hole and swiped his putter in disgust as leaving two of those putts short. He had another three-putt from about 90 feet on the 17th hole. But he stayed in the game by driving the 18th green for a birdie.

“I believe I’m still in contention. I still believe I can win this tournament,” Spieth said.

But after spending two days playing alongside Johnson, he also realized a third straight major will require some help.

“I need a really solid round tomorrow because Dustin is not letting up,” Spieth said. “Dustin is going to shoot a good round tomorrow with less wind, and I’m going to need to shoot a great round to really give myself a chance.”

The second round didn’t finish Friday because a burst of heavy rain flooded the course. That was nothing compared with the gusts off the Eden Estuary, and the R&A knew it was going to be on the edge to play. R&A officials said they spent an hour on the 11th green – the most exposed part of the golf course – to make sure golf balls weren’t moving. And then it started, and Koepka’s ball wouldn’t stay put.

He took nearly 30 minutes to hit one putt. He kept marking his golf ball and protesting with a rules official and finally said he wouldn’t play when his ball moved a couple of inches on three occasions. A few holes ahead, Oosthuizen putted up to 3 feet on the 13th. A gust blew it a few feet away and, as the South African laughed at the absurdity, it moved about 8 feet away.

About that time, play was halted and didn’t resume until 6 p.m.

Ultimately, what mattered was the finish.

Just not for Woods. He never had a realistic chance of making the cut. Needing mostly birdies, he resumed his round with three straight bogeys and shot 75 to finish his two rounds at 7-over 151. That was his highest 36-hole ever in the British Open, one month after his highest 36-hole total ever (156) to miss the cut in the U.S. Open.

Graham DeLaet recorded a second-round 73 and sits T61 heading into the third round. David Hearn will not being teeing it up tomorrow after rounds of 74 and 73.

OPELIKA, Ala. — Playing partners Ricky Barnes and Scott Piercy started the third round with similar birdies and ended it with matching scores – and the lead.

They each shot 6-under 65 on Saturday to share the lead in the PGA Tour’s inaugural Barbasol Championship. Barnes and Piercy reached 13-under 200 on Grand National’s Lake Course, and will be paired together again while jockeying for the top spot Sunday.

The pairing worked well for both in the third round.

“We were both hitting solid shots, giving ourselves good looks,” Barnes said. “And we both got off to a great start. We both holed about an 18-20-footer on the first hole. So we saw balls going in the hole, saw good shots. Not so much competing, but kind of feeding off each other.”

Piercy birdied four of the first five holes. He has won twice on the PGA Tour.

“I’ve won a couple of times where I think a couple of the guys that are up there haven’t won yet,” Piercy. “I think that’s probably a bigger advantage is that I’ve gotten it done a couple of times. Not worried about locking up my card this week or stuff like that is another advantage.”

Count Barnes, who had birdies on Nos. 16 and 17, among the winless. He’s seeking his first PGA Tour win in 202 events.

Barnes came closest to victory with a runner-up finish in the 2009 U.S. Open. That also was the only other time he held or shared a 54-hole lead.

Second-round co-leaders Whee Kim and Mark Hensby were among five players a shot back. Both shot 68 in the event for players who failed to make the British Open field. Jason Gore had a 63, Will Wilcox a 65, and Emiliano Grillo a 67 to join the group at 12 under.

The 43-year-old Hensby, from Australia, surged with a 4-under performance over the final three holes, starting with an eagle on the par-5 16th. He had fallen to 8 under.

He has limited tour status after battling rotator cuff problems in his right shoulder. Hensby won the 2004 John Deere Classic for his only PGA Tour title.

Kim was similarly up and down. He had four birdies on the first nine holes then a five-hole span that included three bogeys and two more birdies.

Gore knocked 10 strokes off his Friday score, when he had five bogeys for a 73. He rebounded with a bogey-free round and birdies on five of the final eight holes.

“Shockingly enough, I was still pretty positive,” said Gore, whose only PGA Tour win came a decade ago. “I knew I wasn’t out of this golf tournament, I was only 5 back as bad as I played (Friday).”

Wilcox, a former UAB star from Birmingham, 6 under over the final nine holes, including an eagle on the par-5 16th. The big reason: “My putter kind of came alive,” he said.

Wilcox might have jitters before his final round but that’s nothing new.

“I’ll be nervous at the start, but I’m pretty much nervous every round I play,” he said. ” Once I get settled in, that’s when I can chill out.”

Canadian Roger Sloan posted a third-round 68 to sit T39 heading into Sunday.

SYLVANIA, Ohio — Ha Na Jang parred the last five holes Saturday for a 2-under 69, leaving her a stroke ahead with one round left in the LPGA Tour’s rain-plagued Marathon Classic.

The South Korean player had an 11-under 202 total at Highland Meadows. Fighting back pain, she opened with rounds of 66 and 67 and has only two bogeys over the first 54 holes.

Play was delayed for 1 hour, 59 minutes in the afternoon. Delays Friday forced 54 players to complete the second round Saturday morning.

Seeking her first LPGA Tour victory, Jang said her target is to finish at 15 under.

“I don’t want to think about any players. Just myself, confidence, concentration and play,” Jang said.

South Korea’s Q Baek was second. She birdied the final hole for a 68.

“Overall I missed a lot of putts today,” Baek said. “But I was just happy with the way I played.”

Jang and Baek have played against each other numerous times over 10 years on the Korean tour.

“We have played a lot of events against each other,” Baek said through a translator, adding that she and Jang played together on the South Korean national team. “We have a pretty good friendship. I am just one shot behind Ha Na. The main focus is to keep my temper down, and try to stay calm and play as best golf as I can and stay positive.”

Defending champion Lydia Ko, ranked No. 2 in the world, was 9 under after a 67 in a group that included top-ranked Inbee Park. Ko also was second, two shots off the lead last year.

“It’s great to be back,” Ko said. “I don’t mind the position I’m in right now. It’s great to return to a course where you’ve played well. There is a little bit of expectation and a lot more people recognize you and you kind of get that support. So there are pluses and minuses.”

Ko said the putts started dropping for her in the second and third rounds.

“I’ve been hitting it pretty solid so I’ve been trying to give myself plenty of opportunities,” Ko said.

Park also had a 67.

“It was a long day,” Park said. “But no bogeys today, which is really good. I feel like I have played pretty solid the last couple of days. I still feel I left a few out there. I am satisfied where I am.”

Chella Choi, Austin Ernst and Shanshan Feng were tied with Ko and Park.

Choi had a 65, the best round of the day. She started her round with a bogey, but then made seven birdies, including three of the last four holes.

“Actually, my shot is good, but I don’t make that (many putts),” Choi said. “So just one birdie Thursday. But yesterday and today my shots really good and made more putts.”

Ernst, who had five birdies, finished her second round with a double bogey for a 66, but was able to wide out that memory and play a solid third round.

“I just said it was one bad swing and then – you know, just made a bad swing and a bad putt,” Ernst said about her double bogey. “So really over the last two days that’s the only blemish on the card.

“I am hitting it well. I just need to make a few putts.”

Feng shot a 68.

Third-ranked Stacy Lewis was tied for 23rd at 5 under after a 69.

Alena Sharp shot a 4-under 67 today and is currently T8 but only 3 shots back of Ha Na Jang’s lead heading into tomorrow’s final round.

Alena Sharp, Jenny Suh and Jaye Marie Green earned spots in the Women’s British Open. Sarah Kemp and Dewi Claire Schreefel locked up spots Friday.