DUBLIN, Ohio — Rickie Fowler showed poise beyond his 21 years, unfazed by six hours of rain delays Saturday at the Memorial or a series of charges up the leaderboard to keep his three-shot lead at Muirfield Village.
Another long day left him one round away from joining the recent youth movement on the PGA Tour.
Fowler showed some imagination with a cut 9-iron over the water to 6 feet for his first birdie of the round, and he kept bogeys off his card for the second straight day to shoot 3-under 69 to lead Tim Petrovic (68) and Ricky Barnes, who shot a tournament-best 62.
Fowler was at 16-under 200 and had the largest 54-hole lead at the Memorial since Tiger Woods led by six shots in 2000.
“I’m hitting the ball well,” Fowler said. “I kept it out of trouble, and I knew opportunities were coming around. It was a matter of waiting for them.”
Patience doesn’t seem to fit with the trend toward youth.
Fowler will try today to become the third PGA Tour winner in the last six weeks at age 22 or under, joining Rory McIlroy, who won Quail Hollow two days before his 21st birthday, and Jason Day, who was 22 when he won the Byron Nelson Championship.
Experience might not be a factor in this case. The five players separated by five shots going into the final round have combined for one PGA Tour victory, by Petrovic in New Orleans five years ago.
Price, Armour tied at top
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Nick Price shot a 6-under 65 to pull into a tie with Tommy Armour III (69) after second-round play at the Principal Charity Classic.
Price, who was at 10-under 132 with Armour, will enter today’s final round with at least a share of the lead for the third year in a row at Iowa. Price is still looking for his first win at Glen Oaks Country Club. He lost to Mark McNulty in a three-man playoff last year.
Siem takes three-shot lead
NEWPORT, Wales — Germany’s Marcel Siem shot a 5-under 66 to open up a three-stroke lead, while Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher shot a course-record 63 at the Wales Open.
The Associated Press
