Saudi International: Dustin Johnson takes two-shot lead over Victor Perez into final round

Dustin Johnson will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Saudi International, with Tyrrell Hatton and Tony Finau among the chasing pack.

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Saudi International

The world No 1 returned early on Saturday morning to complete his weather-affected second round, where a 15-foot birdie at the last closed a bogey-free 64 and moved him a shot off the halfway lead.

Johnson then carded a third-round 66 at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club to get to 13 under and pull ahead of a packed leaderboard, with a birdie-birdie finish lifting him two clear of Victor Perez.

Hatton and Finau sit in tied-third and three off the lead alongside Andy Sullivan and Soren Kjeldsen, with Viktor Hovland, Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer all on nine under and in a share of seventh.

Johnson rolled in from 10 feet at the first and recovered from fatting his approach into the par-five fourth to still make birdie, with a nine-foot gain at the eighth giving him a two-stroke advantage.

The Masters champion added a 15-footer at the 10th and got up and down from the greenside bunker to save par at the par-three next, only to see his lead cut to one when Na – in the group ahead – started his back nine with successive birdies.

Johnson missed a six-foot birdie opportunity at the 12th and then double-bogeyed the next, after pulling his approach into the water, as Na followed a three-putt bogey at the 13th by double-bogeying the 14th to slip back to nine under.

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Perez made three birdies in a five-hole stretch on his front nine and converted from 10 feet at the 17th to close out a bogey-free 66 and set the clubhouse target at 11 under, only for Johnson to birdie the 17th and add a two-putt gain from 10 feet at the past-five last to regain a two-shot cushion.

More to follow…

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