Reigning champ Kim shares PGA Vegas lead with Hadwin, Griffin

LOS ANGELES: Defending champion Tom Kim closed with a 25-foot birdie putt to fire a nine-under par 62 and share the lead after Saturday´s third round of the PGA´s Shriners Children´s Open.

The 21-year-old from South Korea birdied four of the last six holes to stand alongside Canada´s Adam Hadwin and American Lanto Griffin on 15-under 198 after 54 holes at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas.

Kim, a runner-up in this year´s British Open at Royal Liverpool, made nine birdies in all plus an eagle against two bogeys after starting the day six strokes adrift.

“It was great. It´s not bogey-free but it´s still nine-under par,” Kim said. “I played great today. “I got into that place where I was comfortable and I was very calm. I didn´t feel like I was rushing into anything. I was just really in my place. “I had a lot of good shots. I had a lot of good looks. I left myself in some tough situations but recovered really well.”