CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — Keegan Bradley shot a 6-under 64 on Saturday to break the tournament 54-hole scoring record at 21 under in the Travelers Championship, while Rickie Fowler had the second 60 of the week at TPC River Highlands.
The previous three-round mark was 18 under, set by Brendan Todd on an empty course during the height of the pandemic in 2020. The four-round tournament record is 22 under, set by Kenny Perry in 2009.
Bradley missed a 20-foot putt on 18 that would have tied the PGA Tour’s 54-hole mark of 188 set by Steve Stricker in the 2010 John Deere Classic and matched by Justin Thomas in the 2017 Sony Open. Bradley opened with rounds of 62 and 63.
“I’ve wanted to win this tournament forever,” said Bradley, a Vermont native who also lived in Massachusetts and was playing in front of a large contingent of family and friends.
“So, the feeling of wanting to push and win is something I need to fight against and just let myself go out and play.”
Chez Reavie was a shot back after a 63. He led for much of the back nine, but made a bogey on the par-3 16th, while Bradley hit his tee shot to six feet and converted the birdie putt for a three-stroke swing. Bradley finished second to Reavie in the 2019 Travelers.
“I had a big lead and then Keegan made a bunch of birdies throughout the beginning and middle part of the round to make it really close,” Reavie said. “Tomorrow is going to be the opposite. It’s going to be a shootout.”
Fowler just missed the 13th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history. After failing to convert from just off the green on his final hole, wound up tied for fourth at 15 under in the event where Jim Furyk shot a tour-record 58 in 2016.
“I hit a decent chip, just hit it a little soft,” Fowler said. “A tap in for 60 is never a bad thing. It’s better than a 61.”
Fowler was a shot behind Patrick Cantlay, who had a bogey-free 61 that included five birdies on his final seven holes. Cantlay was the first player to shoot a 60 on this course, doing it as a 19-year-old amateur in 2011.
Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., is tied for 12th at 13 under, eight strokes back of the lead.
“The scoring on this golf course is usually on the back nine in that middle stretch,” he said. “I played the front nine 4 under. If you can get the front nine you can shoot a real low one, so tomorrow with the scores low I imagine it’ll take another low one.”
Denny McCarthy opened with a 60 on Thursday and shared the second-round lead with Bradley at a tournament-record 125.
McCarthy fell back early Saturday, making three bogeys on the front nine for a 37. He shot 70, leaving him tied with Fowler and Adam Scott (65).
An almost half inch of rain delayed the start to the round until 11 a.m., with players going off in threesomes on both front and back nine. But it also kept the greens soft and the scoring low.
Fowler, who shot the first 62 in U.S. Open history last week, had seven birdies on his first 11 holes on Saturday.
He was at 7 under on the par-5 sixth hole when he hit a little chip shot from 60 feet that bounced onto the green and rolled straight into the hole for an eagle.
Thomas also put himself in contention Saturday with a 62, leaving him in a group at 14 under.
“I’ve felt very close for a while, just have had literally nothing to show for it,” Thomas said. “And you never know. I’m one round away tomorrow from kind of completely changing my focus and outlook on the year and the rest of the year.”
Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler shot a 63 and was also in that group.
U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark had a 67 to get to 8 under.
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TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
