O’Hair takes one-shot lead

Sean O’Hair braced for the worst as his ball descended toward an island green that suddenly looked smaller. He bowed his head, then stuck his hand on his hip as he waited to see his ball disappear into the water.

It worked out better than he could have imagined Saturday at The Players Championship at the TPC Sawgrass at Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

What looked like trouble on the infamous 17th hole turned into the centerpiece of a birdie-birdie-birdie finish for O’Hair, who wound up with a 6-under-par 66 and a one-shot lead over Phil Mickelson going into the final round of golf’s richest tournament. O’Hair is at 9-under 207.

Tiger Woods who failed to break par for the fifth straight round at The Players. He shot 73 – leaving him 14 strokes back – and walked off the course without speaking to reporters.

Former Pullman resident Kirk Triplett shot a 73 and stands at 216.

LPGA

Jee Young Lee took a one-stroke lead in the Michelob Ultra Open at Williamsburg, Va., matching the River Course at Kingsmill record with an 8-under 63, while the top three players at the start of the day all failed to match par.

Lee (11-under 202 for three rounds) had a bogey-free day. Sarah Lee, the leader after each of the first two rounds, shot 72 and is at 203.

Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., shot her second consecutive 69 and is at 2-under 211. Rathdrum’s Tracy Hanson, after a 69, is at 212.