Golfer Lahiri tied eighth in PGA Championship

Haven (Wisconsin), Aug 16:

Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri scored two-under 70 to drop four places to be tied eighth after the third round of the $10,000,000 97th Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Championship at the par-72 Whistling Straits course here.

World No.53 Lahiri, who fired an impressive five-under 67 in the second round, on Saturday took his three-day total to nine-under 207 — six strokes behind leader Jason Day of Australia who has a 54-hole total of 15-under 201 following a six-under 66.

Current Asian Tour leader Lahiri got a very good start with birdies on the first and second holes. He recovered from a bogey on the par-three seventh with two consecutive birdies on the 11th and 12th.

The 28-year-old dropped a shot on the par-four 15th to be two-under but again moved to three-under by birding the next hole. However, the Bengalurean bogeyed the par-four 18th and had to settle for a two-under 70 — the score he got in the opening round on Thursday.

Following the penultimate round, Lahiri is sharing the spot with first day leader Dustin Johnson of the US. He still on course to better a best performance by an Indian at a Major. Jeev Milkha Singh holds the record of best performance as he finished tied eighth at the PGA Championship in 2008.

However, world No.5 Day, who is still in search of a Major title, shot birdies on the first, third, fifth, ninth, 10th, 13th, 14th, 17th along with an eagle on the par-five 11th. The 27-year-old dropped shots on the second, fourth and 15th.

He holds a two-shot lead over reigning Masters and US Open champion Jordan Spieth, who fired seven-under 65. The 22-year-old American sensation is looking to become only the third golfer after Ben Hogan (1953) and Tiger Woods (2000) to win three Majors in a year.

“You can never count out Jordan right now with how he’s playing, especially this year,” Day, who finished tied second at the 2011 and 2013 US Open, told pgatour.com.

“He’s just full of confidence right now. So with my confidence level and his stellar play right now, it’s going to be an exciting finish tomorrow,” the four-time winner on the PGA Tour added.

World No.28 South African Branden Grace and world No.6 Englishman Justin Rose shared the third spot at 12-under 204, while 2010 PGA champion at this course and 2014 US Open winner Martin Kaymer was at 11 under-205.

Overnight leader Matt Jones dropped to tied sixth following a one-over 73 that took his total to 206. The Australian was tied with Tony Finau of the US. (IANS)