BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Ernie Els kept the mistakes to a minimum down the stretch Saturday and hit wedge in tight for birdie on his final hole for a 2-under 69, giving him a share of the lead with Greg Chalmers going into the final round of the Senior PGA Championship.
Chalmers, the left-handed Australian renowned for his putting, had a 66 while making only two bogeys, not a bad mark on the Harbor Shores course that gave so many fits.
Els, a four-time major champion and among the best of his generation, is in great position to finally get a first major title on the senior circuit. This is his 17th senior major, and even he was surprised to be atop the leaderboard.
They were at 10-under 203.
Richard Bland of England, the LIV Golf player who got into his first senior major from an exemption category he didn't know existed, started out at 12-under par and then began a quick slide through tentative putting and shot 74 to fall one shot behind.
“I'm fortunate enough to be up there,” Els said. “You know, 10 under is leading at the moment; 12 under was leading yesterday. I played solid. I didn't play spectacular, but played solid enough to get myself up there.”
There was enough wind, difficult pin positions and tough greens on the Jack Nicklaus design that it took nearly six hours for the 83 players who made the cut to complete the third round.
“Hopefully, we can move better tomorrow,” Els said.
There could be a lot of movement on the leaderboard. Harbor Shores yielded its share of birdies, particularly on the par 5s that were downwind, but it didn't take much for players to get out of position and find themselves scrambling for par.
Even so, it was crowded at the top.
Bland and Chris DiMarco, who didn't make a birdie on the back nine in his round of 71, were one shot behind. Richard Green of Australia had two eagles and still only managed a 70 after a bogey on the final hole.
The four players who were three shots behind included defending champion Steve Stricker, former British Open champion Stewart Cink and Jason Caron, a former PGA Tour player and one of the club pros competing in the Senior PGA Championship.
Chalmers ran off five straight birdies starting on No. 6 to take the lead before his golf got a “little scratchy” on the back nine. It was the control of irons that left him thinking he has a good chance to capture his first senior major.
“Not super comfortable with my driver today, but I was very comfortable with every other area of my game,” Chalmers said. “So if I can just get that squared away for tomorrow, see if we can get out there and compete. Looks pretty bunched up at the moment, so should be an exciting day, hopefully.”
Bland struggled with the wind, distance control and his putting. He made four bogeys in a stretch of six holes around the turn — he made par on the downwind, par-5 ninth, which felt like a bogey — and found himself as many as two shots behind.
He birdied the par-3 17th to get within one of Els and Chalmers, and it gave him a dose of perspective. Part of him is happy to be in the field. He was not aware of a one-time exemption for players who have won in the last five years on the European tour.
Bland couldn't use it last year because it conflicted with LIV Golf Bedminster. But he was able to use it this year, and he goes into the last round just one shot behind.
“If someone offered you a shot off the lead at the start of the week, probably would’ve taken it. Doesn’t quite feel as good as that right now, but just got to get on with it,” Bland said. “Been around enough to know that you’re going to have some poor days. Of course you are. But do a little bit of work now and just try and get a little bit of just better.”
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Steve Stricker hits out of a bunker on the first hole during the first round of Senior PGA Championship golf tournament Thursday, May 23, 2024, at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Mich. (Don Campbell/The Herald-Palladium via AP)
Richard Bland holds up the ball after a birdie on the first hole during the second round of the Senior PGA Championship golf tournament Friday, May 24, 2024, at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Mich. (Don Campbell/The Herald-Palladium via AP)
BALTIMORE (AP) — Gunnar Henderson hit his eighth leadoff homer of the season, and three more Orioles also went deep off Zack Wheeler to help Baltimore beat the Philadelphia Phillies 8-3 on Sunday.
The pitching matchup between Wheeler (8-4) and Corbin Burnes (8-2) didn't live up to expectations, but it was still an eventful series finale before a third straight sellout crowd at Camden Yards. Phillies manager Rob Thomson was ejected in the top of the sixth, and soon after that, play paused for a few seconds on multiple occasions because of loud plane flyovers related to Baltimore's Fleet Week celebration.
The Orioles took two of three against Philadelphia and pulled within 1 1/2 games of the AL East-leading New York Yankees. The Yankees host a three-game series with Baltimore starting Tuesday night.
Wheeler had never allowed more than three homers in a game, but the Orioles hit one in four of his five innings on the mound. In the bottom of the first, Henderson broke a tie with Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber — who went deep to start Friday night's game — for the major league lead in leadoff homers. Then Colton Cowser hit a 443-foot shot with a man on in the second to make it 3-0.
“I think that Gunnar's (nine-pitch) leadoff AB honestly kind of gave everyone else the blueprint,” Cowser said. “He was in zone. Gunnar was fouling off pitches and then got one in the heart and hit it out."
Adley Rutschman added a solo homer in the third, and after the Phillies scored twice in the fifth to make it 4-2, Jordan Westburg's three-run shot capped a four-run rally for Baltimore in the bottom of the inning.
Two errors by Baltimore's infield allowed the Phillies to load the bases with two outs in the ninth, but Yennier Cano came on and struck out Edmundo Sosa for his third save.
Wheeler lasted just 4 1/3 innings and matched a career high with eight earned runs allowed. He hadn't permitted that many since 2018.
“Just command really. All four of those (home run) pitches were right down the middle of the plate,” Thomson said. “And up a little bit. It's just one of those days.”
Burnes, who edged Wheeler in a tight race for the 2021 National League Cy Young Award, faced plenty of traffic but made it through six innings for his 10th consecutive quality start. That's the longest active streak in the majors. Burnes wasn't available to talk to reporters after the game because of a personal matter.
Philadelphia’s Garrett Stubbs squared to bunt in the sixth, and when Burnes’ pitch bounced near the batter’s foot, Stubbs went to first. Umpires conferred and had Stubbs come back to continue his plate appearance. Thomson was then ejected during an animated argument with plate umpire Mike Estabrook.
The ballpark had a good view of Fleet Week air shows all weekend, but there was a brief period when the planes were particularly loud and players on the field stopped for a few seconds at a time.
Phillies: Thomson said before the game Philadelphia expects to have star SS Trea Turner back Monday from a hamstring injury.
Orioles: RHP Dean Kremer (triceps) pitched 3 2/3 innings in a rehab start Sunday for Triple-A Norfolk.
Phillies: Philadelphia's Christopher Sánchez (3-3) starts at home Monday night against San Diego's Randy Vásquez (1-3).
Orioles: Burnes' start Sunday means the Yankees don't have to face him in this next series. Albert Suárez (3-0) takes the mound for Baltimore against Nestor Cortes (3-5) on Tuesday night.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
A fighter jet, as part of Maryland Fleet Week and Flyover festivities, flies by Oriole Park at Camden Yards during a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Philadelphia Phillies, Sunday, June 16, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Corbin Burnes throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Sunday, June 16, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Sunday, June 16, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Baltimore Orioles' Colton Cowser, left, drinks from the "homer hydration station" as he celebrates his two-run home run with Jordan Westburg, right, during the second inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Sunday, June 16, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Baltimore Orioles' Colton Cowser celebrates his two-run home run as he rounds the bases during the second inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Sunday, June 16, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson, back, argues with home plate umpire Mike Estabrook, front, after he was ejected from the baseball game in the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles, Sunday, June 16, 2024, in Baltimore. Third base umpire Laz Diaz watches at right. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Baltimore Orioles' Jordan Westburg, second from left, celebrates his three-run home run with Anthony Santander (25) during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Sunday, June 16, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Baltimore Orioles' Gunnar Henderson (2) celebrates his home run in front of Philadelphia Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs, right, during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 16, 2024, in Baltimore. Home plate umpire Mike Estabrook looks on at left. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
