Local favorite Thomas Levet shot a 1-under 70 in windy conditions to win the French Open, beating Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark and Mark Foster of England by a stroke. Levet made four birdies and three bogeys Sunday for a 7-under total of 277 to capture his sixth career title. Martin Kaymer was three strokes back in fourth after a closing 73. The PGA Championship winner will overtake US Open champion Rory McIlroy into third place when the world rankings are published Monday. Levet, the 2002 British Open runner-up, was level with Olesen until the last hole. Levet hit an approach that landed 4 meters (14 feet) from the pin on the water-guarded green while Olesen cleared the lake but failed to reach the green with his second shot. Levet missed his birdie putt, giving the Dane the chance to force a playoff. Olesen's chip landed a meter from the cup but he failed to convert a short par putt. Foster was also in a position to force a playoff but his 6-meter (20-foot) birdie putt on the 18th was short. Foster took sole possession of the lead in the early afternoon after compatriot James Morrison found the water in his first two holes to drop three shots. Morrison finished tied for seventh with Hennie Otto of South Africa and Brendan Steele of the United States, five strokes back. Foster parred his first two holes and the overnight leader had a two-shot cushion when Ramsay bogeyed No. 3. Kaymer's chances of victory plummeted when he sent his tee shot into the lake for a double bogey on No. 2. He slipped further down the leaderboard by missing a shot par putt on No. 6. Watney fires course record to grab share of AT&T lead American Nick Watney fired a course record eight-under 62 to grab a share of the third round lead with Rickie Fowler at the AT&T National at Aronimink Saturday. After stumbling into the turn with bogeys on eight and nine, Watney caught fire and carded six birdies plus an eagle at the par five 16th. Fowler also had a sizzling afternoon and returned a six-under 64 to join Watney on nine-under 201 for the tournament. Lurking one shot back is 36-hole leader K.J. Choi of South Korea, who rolled in a 30-foot birdie putt at the 18th for a one-under 69. Australian Adam Scott (66), Steve Marino (63) and Webb Simpson (64) were tied for fourth at seven-under 203. In all, seven players posted rounds of 64 or better. Fowler, 22, looking for his first career victory in his second season on the PGA Tour, birdied three of his first four holes. A birdie on 16 put the young American at 10-under but Fowler immediately gave the shot back with a bogey at 17 to drop into a tie for first. Watney caught fire on his back nine on a steamy day in the Philadelphia suburbs on a course far more vulnerable to low scoring than in the previous two rounds because of softer greens and easier pin placements. After a sloppy bogey at the ninth hole and even par 35 on the front, Watney produced a sizzling back nine highlighted by a two-putt eagle at 16. Vijay Singh of Fiji, who was tied for 13th at two-under 138 after 36 holes, withdrew before the start of the third round because of a sore back.
