SAN ANTONIO — PGA Tour rookie Brendan Steele birdied No. 17 and No. 18 for a 4-under-par 68 on Saturday, grabbing sole possession of the Texas Open lead after beginning the day tied with six other players for the leaderboard’s top slot.
Steele, a 28-year-old Californian, put his third shot within 15 feet on the par-5 18th and made the putt for his sixth birdie — offsetting two bogeys.
“I decided to play it a little more conservative and laid it up, and it paid off,” Steele said of the birdie to end his round.
That late surge was enough for a one-stroke lead over another up-and-commer, second-year PGA Tour pro Cameron Tringale, who led by two after 16 holes but hooked his tee shot on No. 18 into the deep rough — almost reaching a creek. He recovered on the approach, only to miss a 13-foot putt and settle for a 4-under 68.
“I drove it left. I figured if I hit a good drive . . . I’d be able to look at it in two, so I just swung hard,” said Tringale, who played at Georgia Tech and now lives in Las Vegas.
“I laid up to a pretty good yardage and then just misjudged the wind, really,” he said. “Came up short, which was a bad mistake, given all the room behind the hole.”
Another rookie, Kevin Chappell (70), and 30-year- old Brandt Snedeker (70) were tied for third at 5- under. Steele, Tringale and Chappell, who led UCLA to an NCAA team title in 2008, have combined for only 62 starts on the tour. Snedeker’s only PGA Tour victory came at the 2007 Wyndham Championship.
McIlroy is mastering the elements
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Rory McIlroy birdied his final hole to take a two-stroke lead in the weather-delayed Malaysian Open, while Masters champion Charl Schwartzel barely made the cut for the third round.
Overcoming his recent final-round collapse at the Masters, Northern Ireland’s McIlroy moved to 12-under par after nine holes of the third round. Only a dozen players completed their third round after rain and lightning disrupted play for the second straight day.
Schwartzel just made the cut with a 1-under 71 in the second round to finish at 144.
Cook leads by one shot
LUTZ, Fla. — John Cook shot a 6-under 65 and grabbed a one-stroke lead at the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am.
Cook is at 11-under, one shot ahead of first-day leader Russ Cochran (68).
