Hatton grabs lead as McIlroy lurks at Bay Hill; Simsby wins

Britain’s Tyrrell Hatton fired a one-over par 73 in a brutal third round at windy Bay Hill to seize a two-stroke lead on Saturday at the US PGA Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The 28-year-old Englishman, playing only his second tournament since right wrist surgery in November, closed with a dramatic 31-foot birdie putt — only the day’s third birdie at 18 — to stand on six-under 210.

Top-ranked Rory McIlroy was hot on his heels after a difficult day in Orlando where the scoring average soared to 76.

Four-time major winner McIlroy, seeking a sixth consecutive top-five finish, shot 73 to share second on 212 with Australian Marc Leishman.

Hatton opened with a bogey but answered with a birdie at the third on a 22-foot hole-out from the fringe.

Hatton stumbled with a three-putt double bogey six at the ninth after finding a greenside bunker, sank a 28-foot birdie putt at the par-4 13th then fell back again with bogeys at 14 and 15.

A tap-in birdie after a 33-foot eagle putt miss at the par-5 16th and the dramatic closing putt lifted Hatton into the lead, which matched the highest score to lead entering the final round in 42 years at Bay Hill.

McIlroy, who defends his Players Championship title next week, found a bunker at the par-3 second and missed a five-foot par putt.

But the 30-year-old Northern Ireland star rescued par from 18 feet at the third after blasting out of a greenside bunker and salvaged another par from the sand with an eight-foot putt at 11.

McIlroy, seeking his second Bay Hill title in three seasons, was just short on a 30-foot eagle bid at the par-5 16th. He tapped in for birdie to share the lead only to stumble at 18, finding left rough and rocks right of the green en route to a bogey.

Elsewhere, Trevor Simsby of the US won a thrilling playoff on Sunday against Australia’s Andrew Dodt and fellow American Jarin Todd to clinch victory in the weather-shortened Malaysia Open.

All three golfers ended their final round with a total of 13-under-par 203, leading to a sudden-death playoff at the Kota Permai golf and Country Club.

Todd was out of contention after the first playoff hole, which saw Simsby and Dodt both make birdies.

Simsby then stormed to victory on the second hole by sinking a four-foot birdie putt, spelling defeat for Dodt who had looked dominant at the start of the tournament.

The American said he was “ecstatic” at the biggest win of his career and his first Asian Tour title.

Agence France-Presse