HUMBLE, Texas — Stewart Cink and Bill Haas wound up with a share of the lead in the Houston Open Saturday, and they have plenty of company. Cink saved par from the bunker on the 18th hole at Redstone Golf Club for a 4-under 68. He is winless in 81 starts since the British Open at Turnberry in 2009. This is his first time with at least a share of the third-round lead in nearly five years. One week after he shared the 36-hole lead at Bay Hill, Haas made seven birdies over his last 13 holes for a 67 and was tied with Cink at 11-under 205. Sunday suddenly became loaded with possibilities that might even feature Phil Mickelson. Twenty players were within four shots of the lead. Only three of them — Dustin Johnson, Keegan Bradley and John Merrick — have won on the US PGA Tour in the last year. And 12 of them can earn a trip to the Masters by winning. Steve Wheatcroft, the journeyman who got into this tournament only through a Monday qualifier, got off to a good start and fell back with an embarrassing finish. Wheatcroft was tied for the lead when he shanked a shot from the greenside bunker on the 18th, the ball coming out at a 45-degree angle, over the green and almost into the gallery. He made a 15-foot putt to salvage bogey for a 72. Wheatcroft still was only one shot out of the lead, along with Ben Crane (67), D.A. Points (71) and Jason Kokrak (71). Nine players were only two shots behind, a group that included former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen (65), former world No. 1 Lee Westwood (67), former US PGA champion Keegan Bradley (67) two-time major champion Angel Cabrera (69) and Henrik Stenson (68), who is one round away from playing his way into the Masters through being top 50 in the world. Mickelson finished his round of 67 before the leaders teed off, and he closed with a wedge into 6 feet for birdie. He wound up five shots out of the lead, still within range of trying to add another win before heading to Augusta for the Masters. Rory McIlroy had a chance to join the contenders. Swinging more freely, the world's No. 2 player was poised to reach 6-under for the tournament with a superb bunker shot to 5 feet for birdie on the 13th hole. He missed the putt, and then missed the 3-footer he had left and wound up with a bogey. McIlroy short-sided himself on the next hole for bogey, and dropped another shot on the 18th with a tee shot into the water. He had to settle for a 71 and was at 214, nine shots behind. Hend wins at Chiangmai Australia's Scott Hend came from six-shots behind to win the inaugural Chiangmai Golf Classic by three strokes Sunday, carding a final-round eight-under-par 64. Hend earned his third Asian Tour title at the Alpine Golf Resort-Chiangmai, taking home the winner's check of $135,000 with his four-day total of 20-under-par 268. South African newcomer Bryce Easton, playing in his first Asian Tour event, also shot a 64 to take second place overnight leader Prayad Marksaeng of Thailand, settled for third on 272 after hitting a poor 74. China's Hu Mu continued his good progress, finishing fourth with a 68, while Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee, who needed to win to have a chance of qualifying for the Masters Tournament in two weeks, settled tied 10th. It was a disappointing tournament for four-time major winner Ernie Els, who switched to his favored belly putter after three days with the short stick, and finished tied 14th in the $750,000 Asian Tour tournament. — Agencies
