PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Defending champion Paul Broadhurst waited out two storm delays to shoot a bogey-free third round Saturday and open a two-shot lead at the Senior PGA Championship.
The breaks in play didn’t affect the 53-year-old from England, who finished with a 3-under 67 and moved to 6-under 204 for the $3.25 million major at Oak Hill’s East Course. Broadhurst hasn’t bogeyed in 38 consecutive holes.
He entered the day as the co-leader with Esteban Toledo, who tumbled into seventh at 1 over for the tournament after shooting 4-over 74.
Broadhurst’s first two birdies came immediately before and after the first delay, which began just after 10 a.m. ET and lasted nearly 2½ hours. He birdied the 570-yard par-5 fourth hole before the horns blew to halt play. Broadhurst then returned to birdie the par-3 No. 6. He also had a birdie 3 on No. 10.
Broadhurst won last year’s tournament with a score of 19-under 265 at Harbor Shores in Michigan. He is now in contention to be the first player to win consecutive titles since Colin Montgomerie in 2014-15. The Senior PGA has had repeat champions seven times in its previous 79 years, including Hale Irwin‘s three-year winning streak from 1996-98.
The second delay began just after 3 p.m. ET and lasted just 40 minutes, extending the length of the round to nearly 10 hours.
Retief Goosen is second at 4 under after a 67. Ken Tanigawa is third at 3 under following a 66. Champions Tour money leader Scott McCarron moved into contention with a four-birdie, one-bogey round to sit alone in fourth at 2 under.
Corey Pavin, who holed a 70-foot birdie putt on the par-4 No. 9, shot a 66 and is tied with John Riegger for fifth at 1 under. The 55-year-old Riegger shot a 69 and entered the tournament as an alternate after Ian Woosnam withdrew.
The top of the field started to separate itself, with only five players within five shots of the lead. The second round ended with 14 players within five shots of Broadhurst and Toledo.
The third round began with hardly a breeze and temperatures in the 60s. The day ended with a steady breeze and muggy conditions with temperatures reaching 80. Storms also caused a more than two-hour delay midway through the opening round Thursday.