Cantlay, Finau share second â€" and may share a Presidents Cup team room

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Vijay Singh’s last PGA TOUR victory in 2008. His only win at The Honda Classic was in 1999, on a course that he couldn’t remember. And he arrived at PGA National a few days ago wondering if his game is still good enough for him to be competitive with the younger generation. So far, he’s got to like what he’s seeing. And he’ll have a shot Sunday at making history. Singh — who turned 56 on Feb. 22 — has a chance to become the oldest winner ever on the PGA TOUR. His round of 5-under 65 on Saturday put him at 6 under for the week, one shot behind leader Wyndham Clark. They’ll be in the final pairing Sunday. Singh has been a pro longer than the 25-year-old Clark has been alive. “It would be great,” Singh said when asked what a win would mean at his age. “I’ve worked pretty hard. I’m physically quite capable of doing it. Mentally, I’m going to go out there and see how my mind works. If I just don’t let anything interfere, I think I can do it.” There have been seven players to win on the PGA TOUR after their 50th birthday, the oldest Sam Snead at 52 years, 10 months, 8 days in the 1965 Greater Greensboro Open. Singh will be eight days removed from his 56th birthday Sunday. “He’s been one of the game’s best,” said Rickie Fowler, who was alone in fifth at 5 under following his round of 66. “He’s a ball-striker. He’s not as long as he used to be, but on this golf course you don’t necessarily have to be long. It’s about getting the ball in the fairway and hitting your lines and hitting numbers. You don’t necessarily have to go out and do anything special.” Singh, Keith Mitchell (70) and Kyeong-Hoon Lee (68) are all one shot off Clark’s lead. Clark started in sizzling fashion, opening with five birdies in his first seven holes before giving a bit back as the wind started to pick up at PGA National. Forecasters say the breezes will only get stronger from here, and that means Sunday could be wild. There were 28 players within five shots of the lead. Brooks Koepka (70), first-round leader Jhonattan Vegas (69) and Michael Thompson (66) were 4 under, and Sergio Garcia shot 70 for the second straight day to reach 3 under. Clark’s run of 122 consecutive holes without a three-putt ended at the par-3 15th, the start of The Bear Trap. But he made enough good shots to end the day alone on the 54-hole lead. “I felt like I managed where I hit the ball,” Clark said. “I put it in good spots. As long as I keep giving myself chances to make putts, I think I can win.” The first time Singh played The Honda Classic was 1994. Clark, who was three shots clear of the field at one point Saturday, was about 2 months old at the time. When Singh got to PGA National early in the week, the first thing he did was set out for a five-hour practice session — one of the many trademarks of his career. He’s using a longer putter, something he says Bernhard Langer talked him into trying. Even though there’s more than a few gray hairs wisping out from beneath his visor, Singh is still in excellent shape and says there’s no tension or pain in his body. “It’s work, determination, believing in what I believe in,” said Singh, who survived a super-windy Sunday to win the 1999 Honda at Herron Bay by two shots over Payne Stewart. “I just feel like if I play like I did today … when you aim at a target and swing the way you’re supposed to and the ball comes out, that’s the best feeling in the world.” Winning Sunday would be a pretty good feeling as well.

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PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland – When Rory McIlroy first came to Royal Portrush, he wasn’t the one playing golf. McIlroy would chip and putt on the practice green, but he was there to watch his father, Gerry, play in the North of Ireland Championship. Rory finally played Royal Portrush on his 10th birthday. He met Darren Clarke that day, as well. A few years later, Rory famously set the course record, shooting 61 in the 2005 North of Ireland. The Open’s return to his homeland hasn’t added an untenable burden to his shoulders, though. He likes to remind people that his caddie, Harry Diamond, has played more rounds at Royal Portrush than he has. “I’m from Northern Ireland and I’m playing at home, but I don’t see myself as that center of attention,â€� McIlroy said. RELATED: Tee times | Expert Picks | Power Rankings | Tiger sharpening game | Rory’s 61 at 16 | Five things to know about Royal Portrush | Writers roundtable If McIlroy is not the center of attention, he is undoubtedly one of the favorites. He has four consecutive top-5s in The Open, including a win in The Open. He also has the lowest scoring average in that span (69.0 strokes). He is third in the FedExCup thanks to wins at THE PLAYERS and RBC Canadian Open. McIlroy is trying to become the first player since Jack Nicklaus in 1978 to win THE PLAYERS and The Open in the same season. Not only did Rory set the course record (beating a mark once held by Padraig Harrington), but Diamond made it to the final of the 2011 North of Ireland. He lost on the 19th hole. McIlroy said his preparation for this week has been similar to other Open Championships. He played Royal Portrush shortly after last year’s Ryder Cup, then played practice rounds Saturday and Tuesday. He had dinner scheduled with his parents after that Saturday round, but he had to move the reservation up because he spent less time on the course than anticipated. His childhood memories quickly returned, decreasing the amount of prep work he needed to do. “I think I was making it a little bigger in my head than it needed to be. I’ve played this place enough times to know where to miss it, where not to miss it, where the good leaves are,â€� McIlroy said. “No matter if there’s grandstands around of not, … it’s the same golf course.â€� McIlroy grew up about 60 miles south of Portrush, in Holywood. Of the three Northern Irishmen in the field, his ties to the course may be the loosest. Graeme McDowell grew up in Portrush. Darren Clarke lives here and is a member of the club. The Open’s return after a 68-year absence is important step for a country trying to recover from a long-standing sectarian divide, but McIlroy’s life has largely been untouched by The Troubles.   He knows this week’s significance extends beyond golf, but the enthusiasm that produced the first sell-out in Open history could help. “I can’t just put the blinkers on and pretend that’s not all going on. One of my sort of mantras this week is: Look around and smell the roses,â€� McIlroy said. “This is a wonderful thing for this country and golf in general. And to be quite a big part of it is an honor and a privilege. And I want to keep reminding myself of that, that this is bigger than me, right? This is bigger than me. “I think if you can look at the bigger picture and you can see that, it sort of takes a little bit of the pressure off. I still want to play well and concentrate and do all the right things, but at the same time just having that perspective might just make me relax a little bit more.â€�

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