Im Sung-jae Im has maintained his solo lead atop the Valspar Championships after turning in a 2-under 69 at the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Korean looking for his first win in nearly five years, leads the field by two shots with an 11-under 202 total, and ahead of the duo of David Lipsky and Brandt Snedeker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sung-jae, whose last victory came at the 2021 Shriners Children’s Open, is making just his third start since returning from injury and fulfilling a four-week mandatory military bootcamp requirement in his homeland of South Korea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The three-time winner on the PGA Tour, was one of just three players to birdie the difficult par-4 18th hole at the Copperhead Course. That birdie, along with three others on the front nine, helped offset a pair of bogeys at Nos. 12 and 13, seeing him in the lead heading into the final round only for the second time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He had failed to convert a 54-hole lead at the Wyndham Championship in 2022 and will be looking to make it count this time around. Sung-jae’s best at the championships was tied-fourth in 2019 and he missed his cut at his last appearance here two years ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Snedeker carded a bogey-free 4-under 67, for the low round of the day togetehr with Adrien Dumont de Chassart and S.H. Kim. Like Sung-jae, Snedeker’s best finish at the championships was fourth in 2011.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The nine time Tour winner, will be recording is best finish of the season, no matter what happens on the final day, having missed the cuts in all his four previous starts this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lipsky, tied with Snedeker, carded a 1-under 70 in the third round, and is a good position to gain his maiden Tour title. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Matt Fitzpatrick and Tour ookie Marco Penge both sit at 8-under to be tied fourth. The duo seek to join Luke Donald (2012) and Paul Casey (2018, 2019) as players from England to win the Valspar Championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fitzpatrick is just a week removed from a heartbreaking defeat at the Players Championship, where he made bogey at the 18th hole to lose by one shot to Cameron Young.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After posting a front nine 3-under 33, Brooks Koepka is tied-16th on three-under. He carded a bogey and double bogey on the back nine for a third-round 7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Harrington and Jaideee tied for the lead<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, World Golf Hall of Fame member Padraig Harrington carded 6-under 65 to enter the final round tied with Thongchai Jaidee at 11-under at the Cologuard Classic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Padraig Harrington followed up on his 66 opening with a another composed round to finish the day on 11-under, The 54-year-old seeks his 12th<\/sup> win on the Tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thongchai, who carded blistering 64 in the first round, followed it up with a 67 as he seeks a third win on PGA Tour Champions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sixty-eight-year-old Bernhard Langer is tied third with Tommy Gainey, a stroke behind the leaders. Langer carded a four-under 67 as he aims for a record-extending 48th<\/sup> career win on the Champions Tour after going winless in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Defending champion Steven Alker (T5\/-9) matches a career-best second-round 62 after carding a 71 in the first-round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First-round leader Bo Van Pelt slipped to tied-eighth after he carded only a 72, as he seeks his first win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Third-Round Leaderboard (Valspar Championships)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Second-Round Leaderboard<\/strong> (Cologuard Classic<\/strong>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Im Sung-jae Im has maintained his solo lead atop the Valspar Championships after turning in a 2-under 69<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10813,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[58],"class_list":["post-10812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsbeat","tag-golf"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tPos.<\/strong><\/td> Player<\/strong><\/td> R1<\/strong><\/td> R2<\/strong><\/td> R3<\/strong><\/td> Total<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> 1<\/td> Sungjae Im<\/td> 64<\/td> 69<\/td> 69<\/td> 202 (-11)<\/td><\/tr> T2<\/td> Brandt Snedeker<\/td> 65<\/td> 72<\/td> 67<\/td> 204 (-9)<\/td><\/tr> T2<\/td> David Lipsky<\/td> 69<\/td> 65<\/td> 70<\/td> 204 (-9)<\/td><\/tr> T4<\/td> Marco Penge<\/td> 69<\/td> 68<\/td> 68<\/td> 205 (-8)<\/td><\/tr> T4<\/td> Matt Fitzpatrick<\/td> 68<\/td> 69<\/td> 68<\/td> 205 (-8)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/td> Player<\/strong><\/td> To Par<\/strong><\/td> Scores<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> T1<\/td> Padraig Harrington<\/td> -11<\/td> 66-65 \u2013 131<\/td><\/tr> T1<\/td> Thongchai Jaidee<\/td> -11<\/td> 64-67 \u2013 131<\/td><\/tr> T3<\/td> Tommy Gainey<\/td> -10<\/td> 65-67 \u2013 132<\/td><\/tr> T3<\/td> Bernhard Langer<\/td> -10<\/td> 65-67 \u2013 132<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"