Aussies struggle as Levin takes charge

Updated June 03, 2012 10:26:38

The Australian tilt at the US PGA Memorial tournament nose-dived as American Spencer Levin took charge in the third round at Muirfield Village in Ohio.

Levin fired a 3-under par 69 to move to eight under par for the tournament, one clear of South African Rory Sabbatini (71), three clear of Rickie Fowler (69) and four ahead of 14-time major champion Tiger Woods (73).

Aaron Baddeley (73) remains an outside chance of victory at two under par in a tie for eighth, six back of the leader.

Baddeley's one over round was the equal best of the eight remaining Australian's who averaged 75.63 on a windy day in Ohio.

Levin joined the lead with a birdie on the second hole, a spot he would not relinquish all day.

A hole out eagle from the back of the green on the fifth shot him two clear before he added a birdie on the sixth to blitz three clear.

The Californian native gave a shot back on the seventh but nailed another birdie on the ninth and then chipped in for his fourth birdie of the day a hole later to be double digits under par and four clear.

A bogey on the 12th and another on the 16th stalled him a little but a clutch par save on the 17th ensured he would play in the final group for just the second time in his career.

Earlier this season he took a six shot lead into the final round of the Phoenix Open only to shoot a 75 and lose by two shots.

Woods looked primed for a big day when he rolled in a 21-foot birdie on the first to join the lead.

But as Levin charged Woods managed just one other birdie on the front nine and had four bogeys on the back.

"I certainly probably shot the highest score I could have shot today considering the way I hit it," Woods said.

"But I'm only four back, and out here with the conditions supposed to be like this tomorrow again, anything can happen."

Baddeley uncharacteristically three-putted the second green for bogey before unleashing on the par five fifth where he watched a 32-foot eagle putt barely miss but tapped in for birdie.

The Victorian then attacked the second par five of the front nine, but saw his three wood drop about five yards short into the greenside bunker.

He produced a near precision shot from the sand and the ball caught the hole but somehow rimmed out.

The resulting birdie briefly had him within two of the lead. Sand saves on the next three holes kept him inside the main contenders but a loose tee shot on the par three 12th resulted in a bogey.

The 31-year-old then had chances for birdie on the 13th, 15th and 16th holes but could not get the ball to drop and actually three-putted from 10-feet on 16 to drop another shot.

Two separate 15-foot par saves on the closing two holes helped save his mood going into Sunday.

Greg Chalmers and Adam Scott started the day just four off the lead but shot five-over 77s to drop to three over, 11 off the pace.

AAP

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First posted June 03, 2012 10:26:38

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Stallings and Levin set pace at soggy Memorial

Updated June 02, 2012 10:44:22

American journeymen Scott Stallings and Spencer Levin survived tough, windy conditions to hold an early share of the second-round lead at the rain-hit Memorial tournament on Saturday (AEST) as temperatures plunged.

Australian Aaron Baddeley is two-shots off the lead with compatriots Adam Scott and Greg Chalmers in a tie for 12th at 2-under-par.

It was another round to forget for North Irish world number two Rory McIlroy, as he fired a 7-over 79 to miss the cut for the third tournament in a row.

Overnight pacesetter Stallings carded a 1-over-par 73 and Levin a 72 on a soggy, ultra-long Muirfield Village layout to finish level at 5-under 139 after play had earlier been suspended for just under two hours due to heavy rain.

While former British Open winners Louis Oosthuizen and Ben Curtis, along with Masters champion Bubba Watson, were likely to miss the cut, Stallings and Levin limited the damage late in their respective rounds as the wind intensified.

Daniel Summerhays carded a 71 to lie one stroke off the pace at 140, one better than fellow Americans Troy Matteson (69) and Jonathan Byrd (70).

Australian Adam Scott briefly got to six under but he dropped four shots over his last eight holes for a 72 to finish at two under.

That put Scott level with Swede Henrik Stenson (68), Japan's Ryo Ishikawa (70) and Americans Lucas Glover (68), Dustin Johnson (71), Rickie Fowler (71) and Erik Compton (75).

With the temperatures peaking at around 16 degrees Celsius, Stallings recovered from a faltering run of three bogeys in four holes to join Levin at the top.

"I'm just happy to be done. It was a long day," Stallings, who had led by one shot overnight, told reporters after mixing four birdies with five bogeys.

"The wind completely changed, the fairways were not running and the greens were a lot softer. So you kind of had to be pretty creative in how you were going about it."

Stallings covered his final holes in level-par 36 to stay level with Levin, who had completed his round earlier.

"It was difficult today," said Levin, who has yet to win on the PGA Tour.

"This course, when it's firm and fast, it's hard, but then when it's wet and rainy it's a different kind of hard because the ball goes way shorter, the rough plays thicker.

American Steve Stricker, who won last year's Memorial tournament, carded a 70 to finish at one under, two strokes better than South African former world number one Ernie Els (75).

ABC/Reuters

Tags: sport, golf, united-states

First posted June 02, 2012 10:41:04

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Levin stretches Phoenix Open lead

Updated February 05, 2012 12:05:26

Spencer Levin stretched his lead in the Phoenix Open to six strokes, carding a three-under 68 in the third round before the biggest crowd in the tournament's history.

A crowd of 173,210 turned out in ideal weather at the par-71 TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course, breaking the record of 170,802 who attended the 2008 third round.

Levin was five shots ahead after completion of the second round on Saturday morning, after darkness halted play in Friday's fog-delayed round.

In the third he notched four birdies and one bogey for a 17-under total of 196. His bogey on the par-five 15th was his first since the opening hole of the $6.1 million event.

Fellow American Webb Simpson had six birdies and three bogeys in his 68 for an 11-under total of 206.

Korean-American rookie John Huh had another solid round, posting a 69 for 207, tied for third with American Bubba Watson, who carded a 67.

Levin was in the clubhouse with the lead on Friday night, with Harrison Frazar three shots back with three to play when darkness halted play.

Frazar finished his second round with two bogeys to give Levin an even more comfortable cushion heading into the afternoon's third round.

Leading scores after the third round of the US PGA Tour $6.1 million Phoenix Open (USA unless noted, par-71):

17-under: Spencer Levin 65-63-68

11-under - Webb Simpson 65-69-68

10-under: Bubba Watson 66-70-67, John Huh 68-66-69

9-under: Chris Stroud 68-70-66, Jason Dufner 64-72-68, Greg Chalmers (AUS) 68-69-67, Ben Crane 69-67-68, Kyle Stanley 69-66-69

8-under: John Rollins 70-70-65, Phil Mickelson 68-70-67

AFP

Tags: golf, sport, united-states

First posted February 05, 2012 12:05:26

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Levin leads Phoenix Open

Updated February 04, 2012 15:11:27

Little-known American Spencer Levin eagled the par-four 17th on his way to a commanding six-shot lead in the unfinished second round of the frost-delayed Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Arizona on Friday.

In pursuit of his first victory on the PGA Tour, Levin fired a flawless eight-under-par 63 at the TPC Scottsdale to post a 14-under total of 128.

The 27-year-old holed out from a greenside bunker to eagle the driveable 17th and then parred the last to finish six ahead of compatriots John Huh (66) and world number six Webb Simpson (69).

American Kyle Stanley, agonisingly beaten in a playoff for the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego on Sunday, was a further stroke back at seven-under after also carding a 66.

However, 34 players were yet to complete the second round when play was halted in fading light, among them American Harrison Frazar who was at 11-under overall with three holes remaining.

It was an extra long day for Levin, who had to complete three holes from the opening round on Friday morning before setting off for round two.

He was delighted with his form, especially after struggling on the practice range before the start of the tournament.

"It's kind of weird," Levin told reporters after covering his back nine in five-under 31. "Yesterday on the range before I teed off, I didn't feel good about my swing at all. I was hitting it all over the range, and I bogeyed my first hole.

"And I told my caddie going to the next tee: 'This might be a nine-hole week here.' Shows you how crazy this game is, I guess. After that I just started playing good, simple as that."

Asked what had been the key to his 65-63 start, Levin replied: "I've been putting really well, and if you're going to shoot a low round you've got to putt good.

"I'm just going to try and stay as aggressive as I can the next two days. If you're playing well, chances are someone else is, too," added Levin, whose best PGA Tour finish was second place at last year's Mayakoba Golf Classic.

First-round leaders Ryan Palmer and Jason Dufner carded 72s to finish at six-under, alongside fellow Americans Bubba Watson, Ben Crane, Bo Van Pelt and Derek Lamely.

Phil Mickelson, winner of the Phoenix Open in 1996 and 2005, was at four-under, a four-birdie 70 putting him level with playing partners Dustin Johnson (70) and Rickie Fowler (69).

The cut was projected to fall at even-par 142 with former major winners Davis Love III, Yang Yong-eun and Angel Cabrera among those likely to miss out.

Following two consecutive mornings of one-hour frost delays, there is a chance the tournament could spill over into a Monday finish, just like last year's edition which was won by American Mark Wilson in a playoff with Dufner.

Reuters

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First posted February 04, 2012 14:17:18

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