DULUTH, Ga. (AP) Steve Flesch needed 38 holes Saturday to win the Mitsubishi Electric Classic for his first PGA Tour Champions victory.

The 50-year-old Flesch won with a birdie on the second hole of a playoff with Scott Parel at TPC Sugarloaf in the event completed a day early because of forecast rain and lightning. Bernhard Langer dropped out on the first extra hole.

”You never know if you’re ever going to win again,” Flesch said. ”Honestly, it’s been harder than I anticipated winning on this tour. The guys are so good. That Langer guy is hard to beat.”

Article continues below …

Parel bogeyed the par-5 18th on the second playoff hole after his approach hit the bank short and left and went into the water.

”I just was in between clubs a little bit,” Parel said. ”I had like 209 (yards), which is probably about as bad a yardage that I can have, so I had to kind of choke up on a hybrid a little bit and not try to hit it too hard. If I hit it right, a normal shot’s going to be in the..

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) The resurgent Ian Poulter shot a 4-under 67 on Saturday to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the RBC Heritage, putting him in position for his second victory in three weeks.

Before April, Poulter had not won on tour in more than five years. Now, he’s one more solid round away from adding another title to his dramatic win at the Houston Open on April 1.

No joke, Poulter’s play is for real.

Article continues below …

Seven of the Englishman’s last 11 rounds have been in the 60s after having just three such showings in his first 20 rounds this season. His latest left him at 13-under 200, and a stroke ahead of Luke List (67) and Si Woo Kim (68).

World No. 1 Dustin Johnson failed to make a move and, after a 72, was tied for 41st, 10 shots behind.

Poulter and his chasers will have a quick turnaround Sunday with tour officials starting play at 7 a.m. and going off in threesomes on both tees because of expected bad weather in the afternoon.

C.T…

MADRID (AP) Irish golfer Paul Dunne held onto a one-shot lead of the Spanish Open after shooting a 4-under 68 through the third round on Saturday.

Dunne moved to 17 under overall after making five birdies, to go with one bogey, at the Centro Nacional de Golf.

Nacho Elvira of Spain (66) reduced Dunne’s three-shot overnight lead to a single stroke. World No. 4 Jon Rahm (66) and Henric Sturehed of Sweden (66) finished the day two strokes back.

Article continues below …

Rahm, a local favorite coming off a fourth-place finish at the Masters, made seven birdies to move into contention.

Dunne, who won the British Masters last year, is seeking his second European Tour title.

”There was a lot of grinding there on the back nine but I’m happy to get in with 4 under,” Dunne said. ”Probably wouldn’t have taken it at the start of the day but given the shots that I hit, I’m pretty happy with it leading into tomorrow.”

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) Golfers will have to be up early Sunday for the final round of the RBC Heritage.

The PGA Tour said Saturday that play will begin about 7 a.m. because of the threat of thunderstorms. Threesomes will be sent off on the first and 10th tees at Harbour Town Golf Links.

Golfers typically are sent out in groups of two, with the final pair going off about 2 p.m. and finishing about four hours later.

Article continues below …

The forecast calls for rain much of the day with the severest weather expected during mid-afternoon when the tournament usually finishes.

Bryson DeChambeau carries a one-shot lead over Ian Poulter and Si Woo Kim into the third round Saturday.

—

For more AP golf coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/apf-Golf

KAPOLEI, Hawaii (AP) Brooke Henderson kept giving herself chances to run away from the field Friday at the Lotte Championship.

Instead, she had to be satisfied with barely hanging onto the lead.

After two nearly flawless, bogey-free days at windy Ko Olina Golf Club, the 20-year-old Canadian looked all too human in a frustrating third round that saw the wind switch directions.

Article continues below …

Then again, so did nearly every other player.

Henderson will take a one-stroke advantage over 2014 Women’s British Open champ Mo Martin, whose eagle on the 13th kept her at even-par for the day, into the final round.

The leader was 3 over on the final three holes, four-putting the 16th for double-bogey. Henderson, who has already won five times on the LPGA Tour, finished with a 1-over 73 left her at 9 under.

She led by five early on the back nine, but 35 putts – she needed just 50 the first two days combined – had her trying to focus on the fact she still led at all.

”I’ve been ..

KAPOLEI, Hawaii (AP) Brooke Henderson settled for a one-stroke lead after late struggles on the greens Friday in the Lotte Championship.

Five strokes ahead early on the back nine, Henderson four-putted the par-3 16th for a double bogey and bogeyed the par-4 18th. She finished with a 1-over 73 to drop to 9 under with a round left.

Seeking her sixth LPGA Tour victory, the 20-year-old Canadian opened with bogey-free rounds of 68 and 66 at Ko Olina.

Article continues below …

Mo Martin was second after a 72. The 2014 Women’s British Open champ countered two bogeys with an eagle on the par-5 13th.

Japan’s Nasa Hataoka, who is a year younger than Henderson, had a 68 to join third-ranked Inbee Park (71) at 7 under. Hataoka won the 2016 Japan Women’s Open, becoming the first amateur – and youngest player – to win a Japan LPGA major.

Top-ranked Shanshan Feng was 6 under along with Lizette Salas. Feng’s 74 was only her second over-par round of the year. Salas, who lost a playoff at the Lo..

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) Kelly Kraft got a birdie, just not the one he wanted at the RBC Heritage.

Kraft’s ball hit a bird in flight on the par-3 14th hole, and the ball dropped into the water in front of the green.

Kraft made double bogey and finished at 1-over par on Harbour Town Golf Links, missing the cut by a stroke.

Article continues below …

Kraft told PGATour.com the bad break cost him the cut. He said his tee shot felt perfect and was on a good line until fate took over.

Kraft’s group asked for a ruling, figuring the player would simply re-tee without penalty. Instead, because the bird is not a man-made object, Kraft had to play it as a ball in the water.

Kraft said his ball glance off a large black bird that flew off after the glancing blow.

—

For more AP golf coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/apf-Golf

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) Bryson DeChambeau shot a career-best 7-under 64 on Friday to take the lead into the weekend at the RBC Heritage Classic.

DeChambeau’s first event as a pro was at Harbour Town Golf Links in 2016. Two years later, he posted his lowest ever on the PGA Tour to get to 10-under 132, one ahead of red-hot Ian Poulter and Si Woo Kim.

Poulter showed he’s not done playing high-level golf with a bogey-free 64. Kim, The Players Championship winner, had a 65 that included a two-shot penalty for touching sand after a bunker shot.

Article continues below …

Two shots behind DeChambeau were Chasson Hadley (68), past RBC Heritage winner Brandt Snedeker (64), Luke List (64) and first-round leader Rory Sabbatini (70).

World No. 1 Dustin Johnson shot a second straight 69 and was tied for 26th, six shots off the lead.

DeChambeau, 24, jump started his round with an eagle on the par-5 and took over the lead with birdies on the 13th, 15th, 16th and 17th holes. He made a kne..

James Hahn's ultra-colorful, sporadic scorecard on Friday the 13th will make any superstitious golfer cringe

DULUTH, Ga. (AP) Jay Haas nearly shot his age Friday to take the lead into a 36-hole Saturday finish in the PGA Tour Champions’ Mitsubishi Electric Classic.

The 64-year-old Haas birdied the final two holes in breezy conditions at TPC Sugarloaf for a 7-under 65 and a one-stroke lead over Steve Flesch. Bernhard Langer shot 67, and Gene Sauers and Scott Parel followed at 68.

Facing a forecast of 1 1/2 inches of rain overnight Sunday and the threat of lightning Sunday, tournament officials decided to play both the second and third rounds Saturday.

Article continues below …

”The guys were saying we’ve got to play 54, so this gives us that opportunity,” Haas said. ”It will be a long day. Thankfully, we can get in carts. This is a long walking golf course. I’m pretty whipped today. I didn’t get in the cart today, but I’ll probably be in there a little bit tomorrow.”

Haas won the last of his 18 senior titles at the 2016 Toshiba Classic.

”I had a decent year last year, not what I wanted..