Holmes takes control to lead at Torrey Pines

J.B. Holmes birdied all but one of the par fives at Torrey Pines for a 4-under 68 and joined Harris English at the top of a crowded leaderboard Saturday in the Farmers Insurance Open.
Locally, Washington’s Steve Wheatcroft shot a 4-over-par 76 and fell toa tie for 55th place. He is even par for the tournament.
English led by as many as three shots early until he ended his streak of 39 holes at par or better with a double bogey on No. 4. He dropped another shot on the 16th with a poor chip and shot 73.
They were at 9-under 207 with a host of contenders behind them.
Jimmy Walker, playing for the first time since his nine-shot win in the Sony Open, had a 70 and was among five players who were one shot behind. Humana Challenge winner Bill Haas, Jason Day and three others were two shots behind.
Bryant’s double eagle lands him in lead: Bart Bryant holed out with a 6-iron from 195 yards on the par-5 18th hole Saturday for the first double eagle on the Champions Tour since 2010, giving him a share of the second-round lead in the Allianz Championship at Broken Sound.
Bryant had bogeyed four of his previous seven holes to fall off the pace before his second shot at the 509-yard 18th hole landed on the front of the green and rolled into the hole for his first career albatross.
Playing in the final group, Bryant finished with a 3-under 69 to join Paul Goydos, Tom Pernice Jr. and Canada’s Rod Spittle atop the leader board at 9-under 135. Spittle had a 66, and Goydos and Pernice shot 69.
USGA to hold Senior Women’s Open: The USGA will conduct a U.S. Senior Women’s Open starting in 2018.
USGA executive director Mike Davis said Saturday that the increasing number of top players who are getting closer to 50 made it practical to add a national championship for senior women.
The USGA already has a U.S. Senior Open that men have participated in since 1980.
Piller leads LPGA: Gerina Piller topped the leaderboard at 10 under Saturday when third-round play in the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic was suspended because of darkness.
Piller was 3 under for the round with nine holes left at Atlantis Resort’s Ocean Club course. She made 40-foot birdie putts on Nos. Nos. 3 and 4.
Lexi Thompson was a stroke back along with Sandra Gal, Brooke Pancake, Kelly Shon, Sei Young Kim and Perrine Delacour. Thompson was 7 under for the round with two holes left.