BETHESDA, Md. — Billy Hurley III relied on his experience as a Naval officer to stay focused during a bogey-free round in the Quicken Loans National. Only a few times did his mind slip away.

Hurley couldn’t help but drift away from golf when he made the turn and looked at the police officers following his group. Not used to that attention, Hurley thought about his father, who died 10 months ago of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Billy Hurley III watches his shot from the third tee Saturday during the third round of the Quicken Loans National at Bethesda, Maryland. Hurley had four birdies in a bogey-free third round and holds a two-stroke lead over Ernie Els. Associated Press/Patrick Semansky

“It dawned on me: This is what my dad did. He walked inside the ropes and did this at Presidents Cups and stuff,” Hurley said. “Obviously I think about my dad a lot.”

With his dad on his mind, Hurley shot a 4-under 67 on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead over Ernie Els into the final round of Tiger Woods’ annual tournament. The 607th-ranked player in the world was 15 under and in position for his first PGA Tour victory.

“I can’t think of a better one for me to win,’ said Hurley, a graduate of the Naval Academy and a resident of Annapolis, Maryland.

To win, Hurley will have to again tame the Blue Course at Congressional, as he has through three rounds, and fend off Els and the rest of the pack chasing him. Jon Rahm (70) was three strokes back, and Bill Haas and Webb Simpson (68) were five back.

LPGA: Top-ranked Lydia Ko eagled the par-5 18th to tie the course record at 9-under 62 and take a share of the second-round lead in the NW Arkansas Championship at Rogers, Arkansas.

Ko matched Morgan Pressel at 15-under 128, tying the tournament 36-hole record set by Veronica Felibert in 2012.

Pressel, winless since 2008, had a 63.

CHAMPIONS TOUR: Jean-Francois Remesy had two eagles and finished with an 8-under 64 to take the second-round lead in the inaugural American Family Insurance Championship at Madison, Wisconsin.

Gene Sauers and Bart Bryant were a stroke back. Sauers, tied for the first-round lead with Estaban Toledo after an opening 63, had a 69. The 53-year-old Sauers is in contention two weeks after withdrawing from the Constellation Senior Players Championship because of a bulging disk. Bryant birdied the final hole for a 66.

EUROPEAN TOUR: Heavy rain washed out the third round of the BMW International Open at Pulheim, Germany.

Henrik Stenson, Raphael Jacquelin and Kiradech Aphibarnrat are at 11 under and will play 36 holes Sunday. Thorbjoern Olesen is one shot back.

NOTES

THE PGA‘s Greenbrier Classic, scheduled for July 7-10, was canceled because of the devastating flooding in West Virginia.

The course was inundated with floodwaters after heavy storms rolled into the state Thursday. The Old White TPC, the host course, suffered extensive damage.

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