BMW Championship, Round 3: Leaderboard, tee times, TV times

Thomas Detry shot a 4-under 68 to take a one-stroke lead in the opening round as spectators returned to the fairways at the European Open on Saturday.

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HUMBLE, Texas — Expectant father Peter Malnati started strong and shot 7-under 65 Friday to lead at the Houston Open after morning rain and lightning prevented the second round from being completed. First-round co-leader Austin Cook, who opened with an 8-under 64, briefly got to 11-under before dropping all the way to 6-under through 15 holes before play was suspended due to darkness at 7 p.m. Talor Gooch, who started the day tied with Cook, improved to 9-under through 14 holes and is a shot behind Malnati’s lead. The 32-year-old Malnati has been playing professionally since 2009 and has one career PGA TOUR title. He is expecting the birth of his first child in two weeks and said it’s been “a distraction because my head’s back home.” “But this week I told myself, `Dude, this is your last tournament before you become a dad. Do something with it,'” he said. Malnati, who managed a first-round 69 after missing the cut in his last two tournaments, teed off early in what he called “summertime” conditions, humid and dead calm before bad weather suspended play for over two hours. He took advantage with three birdies and an eagle. A couple of underwhelming wedge shots may have cost him back-nine birdies. “I got to play the first five holes in perfect conditions and really took advantage of it,” he said. “I then came back out and was able to keep the momentum going. To make no bogeys in the conditions we played is really more than I could have ever hoped for. I played the last 13 holes wishing I had hand-warmers. The wind was certainly a two or three club wind.” Although his wife, Alicia, isn’t due for another two weeks, he conceded he’s already “fully on call.” “She has all the media officials phone numbers,” he said. “If she has to come get me off the course, she will.” Only four of the top 10 players on the leaderboard have completed 36 holes. Sepp Straka is in at 8-under, and Carlos Ortiz and Mark Hubbard are 7-under. Straka is tied with Nick Watney (14 holes) and Lanto Griffin (13)

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NAPLES, Fla. – Luke Donald hasn’t played a shot on the PGA TOUR since he missed the cut at the RBC Heritage in April, but he will tee it up with partner Andrew Landry at the QBE Shootout starting Friday. Donald, who will turn 41 later this week, missed six months with a lower back injury in 2018. In nine starts he made just three cuts and earned 42 FedExCup points, and he will start the 2019 season on a major-medical extension. “The state of the game is unknown,� he said after his pro-am round Wednesday. “We’ll see. I’ve been able to work hard the last couple months with no pain. I’ve certainly been putting in the time, but to bring it from your home course out here into a competitive situation, we’ll see how it goes.� Donald will get 15 starts this season in which to earn 336 FedExCup points. While there are no points on offer at the unofficial QBE, which he’ll play with partner Andrew Landry, he’s hoping the tournament stokes his competitive fire. “It’s nice to get some reps in but without as much pressure,� he said. The 30th QBE features 24 players and 12 two-person teams, only two of which return from last year. Tony Finau and Lexi Thompson, the only LPGA player here, reprise their partnership from last year, as will defending champions Sean O’Hair and Steve Stricker. There are two former FedExCup champions, Billy Horschel (2014) and Brandt Snedeker (’12), who, fittingly, will play together as a team. Donald, a five-time TOUR winner, reached No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking in the spring of 2011 and stayed there, on and off, for 56 weeks. This week he’s 548th. His health has been part of the problem, and Donald was hospitalized with chest pains prior to teeing off at The RSM Classic in St. Simons Island, Georgia, in November, 2017. He withdrew and underwent testing, which ruled out a heart attack. (He decided it was the remains of a stomach flu given to him by his kids.) The other setback: his decision to part ways with his longtime coach, Pat Goss. (They’ve since reunited.) It was Goss, then the men’s golf coach at Northwestern, who recruited Donald to go to college in America, and their partnership continued after Donald turned pro. But in 2013, Donald began working with Chuck Cook. A little over a year later, he went back to Goss.   “The impetus was to … hit my driver a little bit straighter and gain a little bit of distance,� Donald said at the RBC Heritage. “I thought that would give me a better chance to win majors. Certainly, Chuck’s method was very different to what I had been doing, and after 13 months, what he was trying to get me to do, I couldn’t do. “But in trying to do it,� Donald added, “I got into some bad habits that took a long time to get out. I’m certainly not blaming Chuck. He’s a wonderful teacher; it just wasn’t the right fit for me.� Donald had a couple starts on the European Tour in the fall, but didn’t play well. He’s been more encouraged by some of his rounds at home, in South Florida.  “I’ve had a mixture,� he said. “Some good. I had a 64 at Medalist the other day.� As for turning 41 on Friday, he said he had no big plans. “I’ll be playing the first round here. I’ll have dinner with some friends when I get back next week.�

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