Golf : Williamson tops leaderboard

Jay Williamson shot a 3-under-par 67 Saturday to take a one-shot lead over Hunter Mahan after three rounds of the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Conn.

Williamson, playing on a sponsor’s exemption, bested his second-round co-leader David Toms and first-round leader Mahan over the final four holes to finish at 11-under-par 199 after 54 holes.

“I wasn’t really looking at the leaderboards,” he said. “I figured if I could just keep making birdies, making good swings, I’ve got 18 holes and we’ll figure it out tomorrow.”

Fred Funk shot a 67 to finish alone in fourth place.

Pat Perez and Nick O’Hern were four back at 7-under. O’Hern, who shot a 66 Saturday, has never won on tour, but finished second at last season’s Booz Allen Classic, which also came just after the U.S. Open.

“The thing about this week is that everything is going to seem a bit easier,” O’Hern said.

Vijay Singh also shot himself back into contention with a 66. He hit birdies on Nos. 2 and 3, bogeys on Nos. 4 and 5, and then hit his second shot on the par-5 6th hole to within 5 feet of the pin and made an eagle.

Champions Tour

Three birdies on his last six holes gave Tom Purtzer a three-stroke edge over seven golfers at 10-under 134, including first-day leader Tom Watson. Watson led Purtzer by one shot after shooting a 7-under 65 on Friday, when there were two rain delays.

On Saturday, in sunny and windy conditions, he sank to a 72.

LPGA

Lorena Ochoa shot a 5-under-par 67 to take a one-stroke lead over South Korean rookie In-Kyung Kim after three rounds of the Wegmans LPGA in Pittsford, N.Y.

Ochoa closed with two birdies and enters the final round at 9-under 207.

First-round leader Cristi Kerr rallied with a 70 to move into third place at 5 under.

Wendy Ward (69), of Edwall, Wash., finished the third round tied for eighth at 213.

Women’s Publinx

Mina Harigae beat Stephany Fleet 4 and 3 to win the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links championship in Lexington, Ky.

Harigae set the tone early by making crucial putts to halve the first two holes, then raced out to a big lead and spent the rest of the day holding off Fleet with excellent putting.

Pro Championship

Former Ritzville resident Ryan Benzel, an assistant pro at Seattle Golf Club, had a one-stoke lead going into the final round of the PGA Professional National Championship.

Benzel shot at 1-over 73 on the par-72 Crosswater Golf Club course at Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Ore., for a 5-under 210 after three rounds.

British Amateur

Virginia Tech student Drew Weaver became the first American to win the British Amateur since 1979, dedicating his victory to the victims of the campus massacre.

The 20-year-old junior defeated Australia’s Tim Stewart 2 and 1 in his first appearance in the tournament, held at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in northern England. Weaver earned an invitation to the British Open at Carnoustie in Scotland from July 19-22 and to next year’s Masters.