Furyk fails to hold on to another 54-hole lead

   Jim Furyk in the 2013 BMW Championship

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – In what has become an increasingly familiar scene, Jim Furyksigned his card, stood on a podium, and attempted to explain how another 54-hole lead disappeared.

This time, Furyk was staked to a two-shot lead with eight holes to play at the weather-plagued BMW Championship, only to bogey Nos. 11, 13 and 16. He was passed by Zach Johnson, whose bogey-free 65 Monday gave him a two-shot victory at Conway Farms.

The 43-year-old Furyk, winless on the PGA Tour since the 2010 Tour Championship, has now failed to finish off his last six third-round leads.

“I hit the ball plenty good enough,” said Furyk, who shot even-par 71 to finish solo third, “but I didn’t make the putts when I needed to.”

This series of close calls dates to the 2012 Valspar Championship, where Furyk lost in a playoff. But he followed that up with a T-4 at the U.S. Open, a T-2 at the WGC-Bridgestone, and a solo third at The McGladrey Classic. This season, he held a one-shot lead at the PGA before succumbing to Jason Dufner, and here he was up by one with the delayed final round to play.

“I’ll be disappointed I didn’t win,” said Furyk, who is now No. 11 in FedEx Cup points, “but I’ve got some positives. I’m playing really well on a golf course I like next week in Atlanta, and a win there could do some damage.”