IRVING, Texas — Gerina Piller took a two-stroke lead Saturday in the LPGA Tour’s Volunteers of America Texas Shootout, putting her in position for a breakthrough victory in her home event. ADVERTISING IRVING, Texas — Gerina Piller took a two-stroke
IRVING, Texas — Gerina Piller took a two-stroke lead Saturday in the LPGA Tour’s Volunteers of America Texas Shootout, putting her in position for a breakthrough victory in her home event.
Winless in 123 career starts, the 31-year-old Piller shot a bogey-free 4-under 67 to reach 14-under 199 at Las Colinas Country Club.
South Korean players held the next four spots on the leaderboard. Amy Yang (65) and Mi Jung Hur (66) were tied for second at 12 under, and Jenny Shin (65) and Sei Young Kim (68) were 10 under.
Piller lives in Plano, about 20 miles from Las Colinas. The long-hitting U.S. Solheim Cup hero grew up in Roswell, New Mexico, and played at the University Texas-El Paso.
A number of friends from high school and college joined her family — led by her husband, PGA Tour player Martin Piller — on the course following her. Martin Piller was back in town after missing the cut in the Zurich Classic in Louisiana.
Piller hit to 4 feet to set up a birdie on the par-4 second, then birdied three straight par 5s — two-putting No. 3 and making a 5-footer on No. 7 and a 10-footer on No. 10. She parred the final eight holes.
Piller has hit 52 of 54 greens in regulation, with the two misses coming in the first round. She tied for third last week in California in the Swinging Skirts for her third straight top-six finish.
ZURICH CLASSIC
AVONDALE, La. (AP) — Brian Stuard completed his second straight bogey-free round to take a one-shot lead in the waterlogged Zurich Classic.
Stuard played just six holes, completing his second round with a 4-under 68 to reach 12 under at TPC Louisiana. Jamie Landmark and Jhonattan Vegas were tied for second. They finished the second round Friday.
The 33-year-old Stuard, winless on the PGA Tour, continued his steady play with two birdies Some players were able to begin the third round on Saturday before thunderstorms swept through the area, but the leaders haven’t teed off.
Top-ranked Day was five strokes behind Stuard after shooting a 68 in the second round.
Rain delays have interrupted two out of three days of the tournament. More rain is forecast for Sunday. PGA Tour tournament director Steve Carman said there is a small possibility that all four rounds of the tournament could be completed Sunday, but with more rain expected, a Monday finish is more likely.
CHINA OPEN
BEIJING (AP) — Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard shot a 7-under 65 in the China Open for a share of the third-round lead with Chile’s Felipe Aguilar.
Bjerregaard eagled the par-4 third hole and had five birdies. Aguilar had a 67 to match Bjerregaard at 16-under 200 at Topwin Golf and Country Club
Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts (65) was two strtoke back along with local favorite Li Haotong (66), England’s Tyrrell Hatton (67) and Sweden’s Alex Noren (68).
