NORTON, Mass. — Louis Oosthuizen ran off a flawless string of seven straight birdies Sunday to race by Rory McIlroy and take a three-shot lead into the final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship.
McIlroy played well. So did Tiger Woods. It just didn’t look like it compared with Oosthuizen, the South African with one of the sweetest swings in golf who had an 8-under-par 63.
His birdie streak included four putts of at least 20 feet, and he shot 29 on the front nine of the TPC Boston. His seventh straight birdie on the 10th hole, a tap-in, put him at 8-under through 10 holes. McIlroy rallied for 67 and will play in the final group with Oosthuizen on Labor Day.
Woods had 68 and was six shots behind.
EUROPEAN TOUR: InCrans-Sur-Sierre,Switzerland, Richie Ramsay captured the biggest prize of his professional golf career, three weeks before he returns to the scene of his greatest amateur triumph to get married.
Ramsay shot 5-under-par 66 to win the European Masters by four strokes. The 29-year-old Scotsman was in control for most of the final round in the sun-bathed Swiss Alps and finished at 16-under 267. Four players tied for second.
“It’s just incredible, the whole day went to plan,” said Ramsay, who thought the win would move his career “up a notch. It definitely pushes me to another level.”
Ramsay earned $440,000 for his second European Tour victory, following the South African Open title in 2009. The overnight leader put the victory above his triumph in the 2006 U.S. Amateur Championship, which he won inHazeltine,Minn.
“It’s a bigger win than the U.S. Amateur,” said Ramsay, who is now based inAtlanta. “If you look at the field and the place and the way that I did it.”
It was one timely victory, too.
Ramsay is planning to marry Angela Hudinski on Sept. 21 at the Hazeltine club where they met during the tournament that launched his international reputation.
“I met Angela there and we’re going back there to get married,” Ramsay said, joking that their guests will now expect him to fund the drinks bill.
Ramsay, who is set to move up the world rankings from No. 110 into the top 70, had never before led a tour event after 54 holes, and countryman Paul Lawrie was favored Sunday as he sought back-to-back victories after winning the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.
Lawrie faded and he shot 70 for a share of sixth in his last tournament before joiningEurope’s team for the Ryder Cup from Sept. 28-30 atMedinah,Ill.
Danny Willett ofEngland, who played in the final threesome with Ramsay and Lawrie, grabbed a share of second. Fredrik Andersson Hed ofSweden, Marcus Fraser ofAustraliaandFrance’s Romain Wattel also finished at 271.
After three days of rain, fog and low temperatures in the Swiss Alps, Ramsay finally played in bright sunshine on the Seve Ballesteros-designed course circled by snow-capped mountains.
Ramsay began his round with a one-stroke lead and was quickly joined at 12 under by Lawrie, the 1999 British Open champion who carded an early eagle.
Despite missing birdie chances at Nos. 5 and 6, Ramsay completed the front nine holes in 31. He led Willett by three at the turn, with Lawrie let down by his driving off the tee.
Ramsay effectively sealed the title by holing his approach shot <0x2014> a wedge from 130 yards <0x2014> for eagle at the par-5 14th.
“I just put my foot on the gas and that gave me some breathing space,” Ramsay said.
Mathias Gronberg had a hole-in-one at No. 3, sinking his 7-iron from 191 yards. The Swede had a 71 in the final round to finish at 8 under.
WEB.COM TOUR: In Canonsburg,Pa., Robert Streb won the Mylan Classic for his first Web.com Tour title, closing with 7-under-par 64 for a four-stroke victory.
The 25-year-old formerKansasStateplayer had a tournament-record 18-under 266 total at Southpointe. He earned $108,000 to jump from 23rd to fourth on the money list with $253,491 – more than enough to earn a 2013 PGA Tour card as a top-25 finisher.
“This is awesome. I finally won somewhere other than my home course,” said Streb, whose last two victories came in the Oklahoma State Open at Oaktree inEdmond. “I didn’t think I needed a 64 today. I figured if I got to 15 or 16 under I’d have a pretty good chance. The 64 didn’t hurt. It gave me some breathing room.
“I’ve gone through spurts where I putted really well and spurts when I hit it really well, but I kind of strung it together this week. I felt like my game was really good today. The putter was working well and I hit a few close, which made it a little easier.”
Matt Weibring, Brad Fritsch, Cliff Kresge tied for second. Weibring shot 67, Fritsch 68, Kresge 69.
Ben Kohles, a two-time winner this year, had a 67 to finish fifth at 13 under.