CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Zach Johnson had the slightest feeling of panic Saturday when he saw his 7-iron hug the left side of the 17th green, wondering for a moment if he would stumble for the second straight day along a three-hole stretch called the “Green Mile.”
Relief set in when he saw his ball on grass and not in the water that borders the green, and the 12-foot birdie that followed made a world of difference.
Tiger Woods faltered on the final holes for the second straight day with two bogeys. George McNeill did the same. And when a storm system cleared and the third round finally finished, Johnson had a two-shot lead at the Quail Hollow Championship.
Now comes the hard part.
“I’ve got a two-shot lead. I’m happy to be there,” Johnson said. “At the same time, on this golf course, that’s a matter of one hole. Maybe even one shot.”
Johnson’s par-birdie-par finish — this one day after he went bogey-bogey-bogey — gave him a 4-under-par 68 and a two-shot lead over Woods (70), McNeill (70) and Lucas Glover (68), all of whom dropped at least one shot over one of the toughest closing stretches on the PGA Tour.
Johnson was at 11-under 205 and in position to win for the second time this year.
The final two groups, including Johnson and McNeill, had to wait out a 1-hour, 12-minute storm delay before finishing the 18th hole.
PGA Tour officials stopped play right after Woods staggered to the finish line.
Woods birdied all the par 5s, including a two-putt from 12 feet on the 15th hole that put him in the outright lead at 11-under par for the first time in a third round that featured seven players atop the leaderboard at some point.
Levet out front
GIRONA, Spain — Thomas Levet of France shot a 1-under 71 to hold a two-shot lead heading into the final round of the Spanish Open.
Stuart Davis of England shot 67 to trail Levet, who is at 14-under 202.
American John Daly, who is serving a six-month suspension from the PGA Tour, shot 74 to drop into 51st place.
The Associated Press
