RBC Heritage updates: Donald alone at top at Harbour Town

Luke Donald, who has five top-three finishes but no victories in the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing, will be in the Sunday hunt again. So will Charley Hoffman, who let a 54-hole lead slip away at Harbour Town Golf Links in 2013.

Both will aim for a tartan jacket — and redemption — in Sunday’s final round of South Carolina’s only PGA Tour event.

Donald, the former world No. 1, shot a 2-under-par 69 Saturday to vault into the tournament lead at 7 under. Hoffman, who held or shared the lead for much of the day, shot an even-par 71 and is a shot back, along with Jason Kokrak (3-under 68 on Saturday.)

Patton Kizzire (even-par 71 Saturday) is alone in fourth at 5 under. Branden Grace (69), Chris Kirk (71) and former Masters champion Zach Johnson (70) are tied for fifth at 4 under.

“I haven’t been in this position as much as I would have liked the last couple of years,” said Donald, currently 95th in the Official World Golf Ranking. “But certainly I have been in this position many times, and I’ll draw from that. I know especially around this place, I think if there’s one tournament I’ve been in this position the most, it would be this one.”

Donald’s near-misses at Harbour Town are well-chronicled. He is No. 3 in all-time earnings at the Heritage but never more than a bridesmaid on Sunday evenings. Perhaps most disappointing was the 2011 edition, when Snedeker’s closing 64 forced a playoff that ended with a birdie on the third extra hole. The English pro also was nipped by Kuchar’s bunker chip-in two years ago, finished two shots behind McDowell one year earlier and three shots behind Jim Furyk in 2010.

Hoffman has his own history of disappointment in the Heritage.

He held a two-stroke, 54-hole lead in 2013 but shot a 77 on Sunday as Graeme McDowell slipped into the tartan jacket that goes to the winner.

Seven golfers are within three shots of the lead, but the biggest name in the field isn’t among them.

Jason Day, No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking, shared the 36-hole lead with Hoffman and Kevin Chappell. However, his third round started poorly — he bogeyed the first hole and was two shots off the lead after 13 minutes on the course — and things only got worse. He had a double bogey at No. 3 and consecutive bogeys at Nos. 9, 10, 11 and 12. He shot a 79 and tumbled to a tie for 40th.

Day said when it became apparent Saturday wasn’t going to be his day, he simply wanted to avoid being a distraction to his playing partner, Chappell, who seeks his first PGA Tour victory.

“I really wanted to stay out of Kevin’s way,” Day said. “I know that he really wants to win a tournament. He’s had two second-place finishes already this year. And my bad play, I just felt like it may have affected him.”

Indeed, Chappell also took a step backward, although he jockeyed in and out of the lead early in the day. He suffered two bogeys and two double bogeys on the inward nine, shot a 75 and is in a tie for 13th at 2 under.

Bryson DeChambeau, making his professional debut a week after he was the low amateur at Augusta National, briefly claimed a share of the lead at 6 under before the second-round leaders were on the course. However, he tumbled just as quickly with three bogeys in a four-hole stretch. He shot a 1-over 72 and is 2 under for the tournament.

Several golfers worked their way into contention, including Johnson and Kevin Na, who barely made Friday’s 2-over cut but shot a 5-under 66 Saturday. Greenville native Bill Haas is among a group of six who were tied for eighth at 3 under. He shot a 69 Saturday.

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This story was originally published April 16, 2016 at 2:51 AM with the headline "RBC Heritage updates: Donald alone at top at Harbour Town."