Fitzpatrick seizes lead in PGA Arnold Palmer

MIAMI: England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick fired a bogey-free five-under par 67 Saturday to seize a one-stroke lead over defending champion Rory McIlroy after the third round of the US PGA Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Fitzpatrick, a 24-year-old seeking his first US PGA title after five European Tour triumphs, stood on nine-under 207 for 54 holes at Bay Hill in Orlando, Florida.

Four-time major winner McIlroy, who would complete the career Grand Slam by winning next month’s Masters, fired a 67 to join pal Fitzpatrick in final pairing.

Australia’s Aaron Baddeley, England’s Matt Wallace and American Kevin Kisner shared third on 209 but McIlroy, who began the day seven adrift, said plenty of rivals are within reach of the title.

World number 44 Fitzpatrick, never better than a share of seventh in a US PGA event, opened with a nine-foot birdie, added a three-footer to birdie the par-5 fourth, began the back nine with a 10-foot birdie putt and added two more at the par-4 15th from 13 feet plus a tap-in at the par-5 16th.

Northern Ireland’s McIlroy birdied four of the first six holes and three of the last our holes while taking his lone bogey at the par-4 eighth.

Sixth-ranked McIlroy put his approach to five feet and made birdie at the par-3 second then sank an 11-foot birdie putt at the par-4 third.

After a three-putt par at the par-5 fifth, McIlroy sank a 26-foot birdie putt at the fifth and then blasted from a greenside bunker inches from the cup on the way to a birdie at the par-5 sixth.

He escaped nine with a par after “probably the worst mud ball I’ve ever had... it was good to get away with a four there.”

McIlroy’s ferocious finish saw him sink short tap-in birdies at 15 and the par-5 16th then sink a nine-foot par putt at the par-3 17th and drop a birdie putt from the same distance at 18.