Golf roundup: Daniel Summerhays surges into three-shot lead at the Memorial

Daniel Summerhays managed to walk a relatively straight and narrow path at the Memorial, and it took him to an unlikely position going into the final round.

He started with a five-shot deficit. He ended with a three-shot lead. All because the guy next to him Saturday, Jason Dufner, lost his way at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio.

Summerhays dropped only one shot and rarely was out of position on his way to a four-under-par 68. More than his solid round was the collapse by Dufner. One day after he set the 36-hole scoring record, Dufner shot a 77 and was four shots behind.

He made four straight bogeys on the front nine and lost his five-shot lead in five holes. He hit two balls in the water on the back nine. He missed the putts he had been making for two days.

“Today was pretty pathetic on all accounts, so have to play better tomorrow,” he said.

At least he was still in the game, along with plenty of company.

Summerhays was at 13-under-par 203. Matt Kuchar, who won the Memorial four years ago, ran off three straight birdies on the back nine and shot a 67. That put him in the final group with Summerhays as Kuchar tries to end three years and 82 starts without a victory on the PGA Tour.

“I’m excited to have another chance here,” Kuchar said. “It looked like after 36 holes that none of us were going to have a chance at it.”

Bubba Watson overcame a heckler on the 18th hole with one last birdie for a 68. He was four shots behind along with Justin Thomas (69) and Dufner. Rickie Fowler (72) salvaged an up-and-down day and was five behind.

Jordan Spieth was right in the mix until catching a downhill like in the bunker left of the par-three eighth. He tried to play a perfect shot and barely got it out, then chipped down to wtihtin five feet and missed the putt, making double bogey. Spieth started the back nine with two straight birdies only to follow with two straight bogeys. It added to a 71, and he was six shots behind.

The biggest surprise this week at Muirfield Village has been the weather — sunshine for three straight days, which has made the course fast and opened up more possibilities of little mistakes turning into big numbers.

Storms have been in the forecast for Sunday, though not early enough for the PGA Tour to move up the tee times. Another dry day, and anything can happen.

The last three winners of the Memorial had never won on the PGA Tour, and Summerhays fits that mold. The 33-year-old from Utah is in his seventh year.

Jutanugarn claims No. 1 ranking (withouth playing)

Ariya Jutanugarn took the No. 1 spot in the world ranking without hitting a shot, and Paula Creamer and In-Kyung Kim topped the ShopRite LPGA Classic leaderboard Saturday.

Taking the week off, Jutanugarn replaced Lydia Ko atop the ranking when So Yeon Ryu missed the cut. Ko, also skipping the event, was guaranteed to lose the top spot to Jutanugarn or Ryu, and Jutanugarn got the position when Ryu failed to finish solo third or better.

Creamer and Kim each shot four-under 67 to reach nine under at Stockton Seaview, while two-time defending champion Anna Nordqvist followed her opening 64 with a 71 to drop two strokes behind along with Moriya Jutanugarn — Ariya’s older sister — and Jeong Eun Lee.

Creamer won the last of her 10 LPGA Tour victories in 2014 in Singapore when she made a 75-foot eagle putt on the second hole of a playoff with Azahara Munoz. Kim won the Reignwood LPGA Classic late last year in China for her fourth tour title.

Moriya Jutanugarn and Lee each shot 70. Ryu had her second straight 74 to miss the cut by three strokes.

Wood has one-shot lead at Nordea Masters

English golfer Chris Wood moved into a one-stroke lead despite a bogey in his last hole in the third round of the Nordea Masters at Malmo, Sweden.

Wood, who has three European Tour victories, fired a second straight 5-under-par 68. His best result this year was at the end of April at the China Open, a tie for fourth.

One shot behind Wood were Benjamin Hebert of France (70) and Renato Paratore of Italy (71) at the Barseback Gold and Country Club. Neither has won on the tour.

Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark, who eagled the par-five ninth, was two strokes behind after a 70. Jamie Donaldson of Wales, who had led by two strokes on Friday, carded a two-over 75 and ended up three strokes behind Wood.