Chilean Rookie Pereira Seizes Lead At PGA While Tiger Fades

Tulsa, United States, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd May, 2022 ) :Chile's Mito Pereira, making just his second major start, grabbed a two-stroke lead at the turn in Saturday's third round of the PGA Championship while Tiger Woods struggled to the worst round of his injury comeback.

PGA Tour rookie Pereira, who missed the cut at the 2019 US Open in his only prior major, birdied the second and par-5 fifth holes and despite closing the front side with back-to-back bogeys stood on 8-under as he began the back nine at rain-hit Southern Hills.

The 27-year-old from Santiago became the first Chilean to lead a major.

American Will Zalatoris began with a one-stroke lead on 9-under but opened with a bogey, missed a four-foot putt at the fourth hole for another and a five-foot par putt at the par-3 sixth to fall back.

Pereira rolled in a 36-foot birdie putt at the par-4 second to grab the lead, saved par from nine feet at the fourth to keep it and sank a 10-foot birdie putt at the par-5 fifth. He stumbled with a nine-foot par putt miss on eight and a bogey after finding left rough at nine.

As 30th-ranked Zalatoris and 100th-ranked Pereira chased a first major title, past major winners were hot on their heels.

Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, who matched the course record with a 63 on Friday, answered a bogey at the third with birdies at the fourth and seventh to stand second on 6-under, one better than Zalatoris.

Ninth-ranked American Justin Thomas, the 2017 PGA winner, opened with a bogey, answered with an 18-foot birdie putt at the fourth, but fell back to four-under with bogeys at six and seven, sharing fourth with compatriot Cameron Young.

Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, the 18-hole leader after an opening 65, took double bogey at the par-3 sixth and bogeys at seven and eight before a birdie at the ninth lifted him within seven.

- Tiger struggles to 79 - Woods, the 15-time major champion who suffered severe right leg damage in a February 2021 car crash, limped to a nine-over par 79 and shared last among 79 golfers who made the cut on 12-over 222 after 54 holes.

"I didn't do anything right," Woods said. "I didn't hit many good shots. Consequently I ended up with a pretty high score." Woods struggled to his worst-ever score in 79 PGA Championship rounds and his only worse major scores were a 10-over 81 in the third round of the 2002 British Open and a 10-over 80 in round one of the 2015 US Open.

"I just didn't play well," Woods said. "I didn't hit the ball very well and got off to not the start I needed to get off to." Asked if he definitely would play in Sunday's final round, Woods replied, "Well, I'm sore. I know that is for a fact. We'll do some work and see how it goes." A throng of spectators lined every hole to catch a glimpse of Woods, cheering him around the course despite his woes.

South African playing partner Shaun Norris was impressed at Woods and his pain tolerance.

"To show the amount of guts he has got to actually push through it and even make the cut this week is phenomenal," Norris said.

- Spieth Slam bid falters - Three-time major winner Jordan Spieth, needing a victory to complete a career Grand Slam, stumbled to a 74 to slide well back on 215.

Second-ranked Jon Rahm, the reigning US Open champion from Spain who with a win would become world number one, struggled to a 76 to stand on 218.

Webb Simpson, the 2012 US Open champion, went five-under on his last seven holes to shoot 65, level for his best season round, and shared the clubhouse lead on 209 with Australian Lucas Herbert.

"It's probably top two or three best rounds I've ever had in a major," Simpson said.