Kraft, Varner share Greenbrier lead with Watson lurking

WASHINGTON: Harold Varner birdied four of the last eight holes to fire a four-under par 66 and seize a share of the lead after Saturday’s third round of the US PGA Greenbrier Classic.Varner’s bogey-free round left him alongside fellow American Kelly Kraft on 14-under 196 for 54 holes at the mountain resort course in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.“I’m playing really well. Not playing perfect golf, Just going for targets and having fun with it,” Varner said. “Playing from the fairways out here, you give yourself a good shot.”Both Varner, one of the tour’s few African-American players, and Kraft, who made bogeys at 16 and 18 in shooting a 69, seek a first US PGA title in their 85th career attempt.“That would be awesome,” Varner said. “Just want to have an opportunity.”Varner, who collected a European Tour triumph at the 2016 Australian PGA Championship, made 10 consecutive pars to start, including a 14-foot putt at the par-3 third and a 10-footer at the sixth.Varner sank a nine-foot birdie putt at 11. He tapped in at 12, rolled in a 20-footer for birdie at 14 and a 12-footer at the 17th.Kraft’s round included a 19-foot birdie putt at 10 and a chip in for birdie from 41 feet at 11. But he stumbled late, unable to get up and down for par from bunkers at 16 and 18.Defending champion Xander Schauffele and US compatriot Kevin Na shared third on 197 with countryman Sam Saunders, grandson of the late golf legend Arnold Palmer, fifth on 198.India’s Anirban Lahiri, American Joel Dahmen and two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson shared sixth on 199.Watson, seeking his fourth title of the year, fired seven birdies on his way to a 65.Schauffele, who also won last year’s Tour Championship, eagled the par-5 17th blasting out of greenside sand from 22 feet to move within a stroke.World number 99 Lahiri, also seeking a first PGA Tour win, fired a career-low 61 on Friday but shot 71 on Saturday.

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