Mickelson falls inches short of berth in finale

Brooks Koepka has improved his chances of taking over as No. 1 golfer in the world, shooting a bogey-free 5-under 67 Saturday for a four-stroke lead after three rounds of the CJ Cup at Nine Bridges. Ian Poulter, who shot 68 Saturday, was tied for second place with second-round leader Scott Piercy, who had a 72. The 28-year-old Koepka, who trailed by one stroke after two rounds, will move to the top of the world rankings if he wins the tournament and former No. 1 Justin Thomas, the defending champion here, does not finish any better than second.

Steve Williams, Tiger Woods’ erstwhile caddie who most recently looped for Adam Scott, is taking his skills to the LPGA Tour. The veteran bagman — who handed the sticks to Woods for 12 years and has been by Scott’s side in an on-again, off-again role since he and Woods had a less than amicable split in 2011 — will handle caddie duties for U.S. player Danielle Kang at this week’s New Zealand Women’s Open, according to the New Zealand Herald. First as a full-time caddie and lately as a part-timer for Scott in his semi-retirement, the native Kiwi will make his debut on the women’s circuit before hooking up with the 2013 Masters winner for their swan song in two Asian events in October. “I’ve never