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South Korea's Im clings to PGA lead in stormy Greensboro

South Korea Im in golf-File Photo
South Korea Im in golf-File Photo
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WASHINGTON: South Korea's Im Sung-jae clung to a one-stroke lead over American John Huh after Sunday's completion of the storm-interrupted third round of the US PGA Tour's Wyndham Championship.


Both closed with bogeys to leave Im atop the leaderboard on 13-under par 197 and Huh on 198 after 54 holes at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina.


Im missed an eight-foot par putt at the 18th hole to stumble at the end of a five-under par 65 third round while Huh went way left off the 18th tee and chipped inches from the cup to set up a tap-in bogey for a 66.


American rookie Brandon Wu and South Korean Kim Joo-Hyung were third, two shots off the lead, as the round was finished on Sunday morning following storms that shut down play early on Saturday.


Im made three birdies on the front nine and began a birdie run with a five-foot putt at the 11th just before storms halted play on Saturday to seize a share of the lead.


He returned on Sunday morning and added a five-foot birdie putt at the par-3 12th and a 15-footer at the 13th before making a bogey at the 14th, then answered with a birdie putt from just outside three feet at the par-5 15th.


The most recent of Im's two PGA Tour titles came at the Shriners' Children's Open last October.


Huh, who fired a career-low 61 to lead the first round, closed on Saturday with back-to-back birdies at 10 and 11 and on Sunday added a birdie putt at 12 from just inside 10 feet then drove the 15th green in two for a tap-in birdie before his closing bogey.


Wu holed out for an eagle from 147 yards at the par-4 11th to share the lead with Im at 12-under through 11 holes when play was halted on Saturday.


But Wu made bogeys at 13 and 14 and even with a four-foot birdie putt at 15 was two adrift entering the final round.


Kim finished his final eight holes on Sunday but stayed on 11-under with a bogey at the 14th and a birdie at the par-3 16th.


Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat completed a seven-under 63, his lowest-ever PGA round, before play was halted on Saturday. He shared fifth with American Taylor Moore on 200.-- AFP


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