Golf roundup: Jason Dufner charges into lead at RBC Heritage

Jason Dufner had two eagles on the way to a six-under-par 65 and a one-shot lead Saturday heading into the final round of the RBC Heritage.

Dufner started three shots behind co-leaders Graham DeLaet and Luke Donald. But the 2013 PGA Championship winner quickly closed that deficit with eagles on both front-nine par-five holes at Nos. 2 and 5. He also birdied No. 15, Harbour Town Golf Link’s other par-five as part of a three-birdie run that put him in front at 13 under.

DeLaet was second after a 69, the Canadian’s third straight sub-70 round after having just five in five previous appearances here at Hilton Head, S.C.

Kevin Kisner and Webb Simpson were at 11 under. Kisner shot a 66, and Simpson, the former U.S. Open champ, had a 68.

Dufner got his round going with the early eagles. He blasted a 215-yard approach on the second hole to within 11 feet for his first eagle. He was short of the fifth green in two, then chipped in from about 100 feet for his second eagle.

Dufner plays Harbour Town often, but without much success. His best finish was a tie for 14th and only once in seven previous fourth rounds has shot in the 60s. He is chasing his fifth PGA Tour title — and just the second since winning the Wanamaker Trophy at Oak Hill four years ago.

Kerr wins Lotte Championship

Cristie Kerr won the LPGA Lotte Championship for her 19th tour title, closing with a six-under 66 for a three-stroke victory.

The 39-year-old Kerr broke the tournament record at 20-under 268, a day after shooting 62 at Ko Olina to match the event mark. She earned $300,000 to top $18 million in her career.

Kerr called her latest victory “epic” and began to count the ways. She had complications with knee surgery in November, keeping her from hitting a shot for eight weeks, and from playing the first tournament of the year.

“It feels so good to have overcome so many things to be sitting here,” Kerr said. “I played great the last couple weeks coming into here, and I just have a different perspective on life now. I felt it on the golf course today. I was able to keep going forward because I didn’t put that extra pressure on myself.”

The American overcame sponsor invite Su-Yeon Jang, the South Korean player who led after the second and third rounds and was five ahead of Kerr after three holes Saturday.

Jang had a 70 to drop into a tie for second with top-ranked Lydia Ko (64) and In Gee Chun (67). Jang’s first bogey of the week came at No. 6 and she suffered double-bogey two holes later, falling into a tie for first with Kerr.

Canadian Alena Sharp, looking for her first LPGA Tour win in her 241st start, bogeyed the final hole for a 70 to finish alone in fifth at 16 under, a shot ahead of second-ranked So Yeon Ryu, who shot a 67. Third-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn and Stacy Lewis were 14 under.

Ames leads five players by one stroke at Champions event

Stephen Ames shot a four-under 68 to take a one-stroke lead over five players into the final round of the PGA Tour Champions’ Mitsubishi Electric Classic in Duluth, Ga.

Ames had five birdies and a bogey at TPC Sugarloaf to reach nine-under 135. The 52-year-old naturalized Canadian is winless on the senior tour after winning four times on the PGA Tour.

First-round leader Bob Tway followed his opening 65 with a 71 to drop into a tie for second with Kenny Perry (64), Billy Andrade (66), Brandt Jobe (68) and Kevin Sutherland (69).

Miguel Angel Jimenez (68) and Marco Dawson (68) were 7 under. Jimenez won in 2014 at TPC Sugarloaf and is coming off a victory in the Mississippi Golf Resort Classic.

John Daly topped the group at six under, rebounding from a first-round 73 with a 65. Defending champion Woody Austin was at five under after a 70. Bernhard Langer bogeyed the par-four 18th for a 73, ending his tour-record streak of par or better rounds at 36. The 2013 tournament winner was tied for 21st at four under.

Dunne ahead by two shots at Trophee Hassas II

Paul Dunne will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the European Tour’s Trophee Hassan II with a four-under 69 in Rabat, Morocco, giving him a chance at his first professional title.

The Irishman had six third-round birdies, including on the last hole, to get to eight under overall and increase his advantage over second-placed Renato Paratore. The one slip from Dunne was a double-bogey on No. 13.

Paratore surged up the leaderboard after a course-record seven-under 66 at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam. The Italian fired in eight birdies and made just one bogey to jump 38 places. Lasse Jensen (70), Paul Waring (69) and Pablo Larrazabal (69) were tied for third at five under, a shot behind Paratore and three off the lead.