ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Heath Slocum made his first bogey in 50 holes at Sea Island but did little else wrong Saturday, posting a third straight 4-under-par 66 to take a one-shot lead at the McGladrey Classic.
Slocum was at 12-under 198, one shot ahead of Troy Merritt and Joe Durant. Slocum will play in the final group with Merritt, a PGA Tour rookie who had a bogey-free 64 at just the right time.
David Toms, the 36-hole leader, stumbled twice along St. Simons Sound. He pitched over the 14th green and had to scramble for bogey, then caught a flier from the rough over the green on the par-5 15th and made another bogey.
Toms shot a 70, but was only two shots out of the lead going into a Sunday that could be wide open.
• Cristie Kerr moved into position for her third victory of the year, shooting a 5-under 67 to take a three-stroke lead in the Navistar LPGA Classic in Prattville, Ala.
Katherine Hull (67) and Na Yeon Choi (70) were tied for second.
• Mark O’Meara is in front by two strokes after three rounds of the Senior Players Championship in Potomac, Md.
Trailing are second-round leader Russ Cochran, Michael Allen and Loren Roberts.
• John Parry‘s lead at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship was halved to two strokes after shooting a 1-under 71 in the third round at St. Andrews, Scotland.
Nadal in Tokyo final
TOKYO — Rafael Nadal needed two tiebreaks to beat unseeded Viktor Troicki 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (7) and reach the Japan Open final.
Nadal will face Gael Monfils for the title today. Monfils defeated Radek Stepanek in straight sets.
• Top-seeded Novak Djokovic reached the China Open final in Beijing after a 7-6 (1), 6-4 win over American John Isner.
On the women’s side, Vera Zvonareva powered past China’s Li Na 6-3, 6-3. She will play No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, who beat Shahar Peer 7-5, 6-2.
McCormack wins Ironman
KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii — Australia’s Chris McCormack won the Ironman World Championship for the second time in four years, finishing the 140.6-mile triathlon in 8 hours, 10 minutes, 37 seconds.
McCormack, 37, held off a late challenge from Germany’s Andreas Raelert. Raelert was second in 8:12:17. Belgium’s Marino Vanhoenacker finished third in 8:13:14.
Gio Ponti wins Shadwell Turf
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Dual Eclipse Award winner Gio Ponti secured a spot in the Breeders’ Cup, winning the $600,000 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland.
• Uncle Mo rolled to a 4 3/4-length win over Mountain Town in the $300,000 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park in New York.
Footnotes.
Swiss skier Daniel Albrecht postponed his comeback to World Cup racing to get his injured left knee healthier.
• New Jersey Nets power forward Troy Murphy may miss the season opener Oct. 27 against the Detroit Pistons because of a lower back injury.
