China’s Dou Zecheng shares Byron Nelson lead with Ryan Palmer, Austin Eckroat

WASHINGTON – China’s Dou Zecheng fired seven birdies in his seven-under 64 on Saturday to grab a share of the third-round lead in the PGA Tour’s Byron Nelson tournament alongside Ryan Palmer and Austin Eckroat.

The 26-year-old looked right at home on the par-71 TPC Craig Ranch course just minutes away from where he makes his US home in suburban Dallas but admitted “I do feel some nerves already”.

He and Eckroat (63) are top of the leaderboard after 54 holes for the first time in their PGA Tour careers as they chase a first title, while Palmer (68) claimed the most recent of his four wins in 2019.

The leading trio were two strokes in front of a quartet headlined by world No. 2 Scottie Scheffler (71), who was joined by Australian Jason Day (66), Sweden’s Vincent Norrman (65) and South Korean Kim Si-woo (68) on 14-under 199.

Dou, who goes by “Marty”, a nickname given to him by a kindergarten teacher in Vancouver, will be hoping he will next be called a winner after his third-round showing placed him in position for a first win on the PGA Tour.

He has missed eight cuts this season and has never finished in the top 10 in 44 previous PGA Tour starts.

“Played really solid today,” he said. “Hit really good drives. Left myself more opportunities than yesterday and rolled a couple, and once in a while you make one. That’s how confidence is gained.”

However, he admitted not long after capping his 64 with a two-putt birdie at the par-five 18th: “I know I’m playing pretty good. I don’t want to have to know who’s in the lead, how much back I am to get in my head, and mess up shots.”

Eckroat had 10 birdies to overcome a double-bogey in his eight-under 63, while Palmer joined the group with his sixth birdie of the day at the par-five 18th.

Palmer’s 35-foot eagle putt was headed for the heart of the cup but stopped on the lip, giving him a three-under 68.

Like Dou, Eckroat, a 24-year-old from Oklahoma, also expected to be feeling some nerves on Sunday.

“You put yourself in this position and you kind of feel like a win is the only way that it’s a successful week,” he said. “But (I’ll) just go out tomorrow and try to play the best I can and see what happens.”

When he walked off the 18th green, Eckroat had expected to be playing in the final group on Sunday alongside Scheffler.

But the 2022 Masters champion, who held the overnight lead, struggled on the greens and after two bogeys and three birdies was one off the lead after 17 holes.

At the 18th, he was in a fairway bunker off the tee and failed to get the ball out with his second shot on the way to a bogey for an even-par 71.

At the LPGA Founders Cup, defending champion Minjee Lee, the women’s world No. 6 from Australia, fired a five-under 67 to grab a three-stroke lead after Saturday’s third round.

The 26-year-old, seeking her ninth career LPGA title, matched the day’s low round to stand on 12-under 204 after 54 holes at Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, New Jersey.

“I think I was pretty solid all day,” she said. “I made a lot of birdies on the front nine and then one eagle on the back and then I made pars coming in. I feel like I had a pretty good day.”

South Korea’s Ryu Hae-ran (70), a 22-year-old LPGA rookie, shared second spot on 207 with American Angel Yin (68).

India’s Aditi Ashok (71), South African Ashleigh Buhai (68) and South Korea’s third-ranked Ko Jin-young (72) – a two-time Founders Cup winner – were another stroke further back. AFP, REUTERS