Hatton, Kang share lead at Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Tiger Woods did not show any visible discomfort, but the 81-time PGA TOUR winner still struggled mightily in Thursday’s opening round of THE NORTHERN TRUST as the FedExCup Playoffs got underway. Woods – who complained of back stiffness in the pro-am on Wednesday and limited himself to chipping and putting for half his practice round – scratched together a clunky 4-over 75 at Liberty National. It left the two-time FedExCup champion a distant 13 shots off the hot early pace set by Troy Merritt and better than only one player (Patrick Cantlay) from the morning wave. It’s a much different position than his first two visits to Liberty National, when Woods finished T-2 and just one shot behind the winners in 2009 and 2013. Related: Leaderboard | FedExCup Playoffs primer | Scenarios: How to make the top 70 Woods opened this year’s Playoffs at 28th in the FedExCup points list and is secure for next week’s BMW Championship, where the top 70 players advance to Medinah Country Club. But should he miss the cut at Liberty National – a possibility after his Thursday score – he will likely fall outside the top 30 before heading there. The top 30 players after the BMW Championship advance to the TOUR Championship at East Lake, where Woods secured an iconic victory a year ago. Thursday’s round put his place to defend in serious jeopardy. The struggles for Woods begun early when he pulled a wedge into a greenside bunker on the 12th hole (Woods started his round off the 10th tee). The 43-year-old went from that sand trap to another before making bogey. While he rebounded with a birdie on the 13th, Woods made a critical error on the picturesque short par-3 14th. With the Statue of Liberty in full view, Woods overcooked his tee shot well over the required 140-yards into a penalty area. He eventually walked off with a double bogey. Further bogeys on 15 and 17 left Woods making his turn at 4-over and reeling at the back of the pack. While he managed two birdies on the front side, his second nine also included a 3-putt bogey from 15 feet on the par-4 third as well as a closing bogey on No. 9.

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JACKSON, Miss. – Notes and observations from the third round of the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson. LEADING LIGHT Cameron Champ has led the Sanderson Farms Championship since Thursday, but his position atop the leaderboard was tenuous after his approach shot bounded over the green on the 12th hole. Champ was leading by one when his wedge shot from the rough flew the green and took a hard bounce, settling 20 yards past the green. His ball sat on a tight lie and he was staring at a lake on the other side of the putting surface. Champ opted for the safe play, a bump-and-run. That removed the threat of hitting it into the water. His shot stopped short of the putting surface, though. “I wasn’t trying to get too cute with it,� Champ said. “If I got lucky and it just barely trickled on, great. If not, I would just take that chip and live with it.� It looked like he would lose at least one shot on Saturday’s hardest hole. He chipped in, instead, to par Saturday’s hardest hole. “Luckily, I was able to pull it off and make a nice par,� he said. He took control of the tournament after that, making birdies on the next three holes. The run started with a 9-iron to 6 feet on the par-3 12th hole. He unleashed a 349-yard drive on the next hole, then hit a 6-iron just left of the green. A chip and a putt gave him his fourth par-5 birdie of the day. Another greenside up-and-down, this time from a bunker, gave him a birdie on the 292-yard, par-4 15th. Champ walked off that green with a four-shot lead. He holds that same advantage after parring the final three holes for a 64 that matched the low score of the day. Corey Conners, a second-year TOUR player, also shot 64 and will begin the final round in second place. TOUR veterans D.J. Trahan and Shawn Stefani are five back. OBSERVATIONS A HONEYMOON WIN?: Seven days ago, Corey and Malory Conners got married in Ontario, Canada. The Sanderson Farms Championship is doubling as their honeymoon. Sunday could bring a happy ending, as Corey is playing in the final group. “It would be really special to have her here and win,� he said. “We had an awesome wedding and are kind of excited to have it over with so we can start a new chapter in our lives.� Conners, 26, is playing this season on conditional status after finishing 130th in last season’s FedExCup. This is the third time he will start the final round in first or second place. He shot a final-round 77 at the Valspar Championship after holding a one-shot lead. He was in second at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship before a final-round 76. HOPEFUL HAAS: Bill Haas needs a solo eighth-place finish this week to fulfill a medical extension. A 67 on Saturday gave him an opportunity to meet that mark. He will start the final round in a seven-way tie for eighth at 9 under par. “I think if I focus on that then it hinders you,� the 2011 FedExCup champ said. “I’m certainly not going to hang my future on tomorrow’s round.� Haas also has the opportunity to start the season with back-to-back top-10s after having just one last season and missing the FedExCup Playoffs for the first time in his career. He finished T10 at the Safeway Open. QUOTABLES You want to get off to a good start in the year, and when you have your little break over Christmas know you’re in good position.As soon as I hit it I thought it was going to be a good shot. It disappeared before I even knew it. SUPERLATIVES Low round: Champ and Conners both shot 64. Champ started the day with a share of the lead and is now four ahead. Conners jumped from 15th to second. Both players had nine birdies and one bogey. Longest drive: Tom Lovelady’s 353-yarder on the 14th hole was the longest of the day, four yards longer than Champ’s tee shot on the same hole. They combined for Saturday’s five longest tee shots. Lovelady had three (353, 343, 340). Champ had two (349, 342). Lovelady is in 30th place (71-71-68). Longest putt: Stefani holed a 54-footer for birdie on the par-3 13th in his second-round 68. Hardest hole: The 428-yard, par-4 12th played to a 4.4 stroke average. There were twice as many double-bogeys (4) as birdies (2) on Saturday. CALL OF THE DAY For play-by-play coverage of the final round of the Sanderson Farms Championship, listen at PGATOUR.COM. SHOT OF THE DAY

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