Mark Wilson seized a share of the lead at the US$6 million Phoenix Open on Friday, alongside overnight leader Camilo Villegas of Colombia.
Wilson birdied the last four holes en route to a five-under 66, while Villegas cooled off with a 69 as they shared the lead on 11-under 131.
Villegas closed with a bogey at 18, where he missed a 14-footer for par.
They were one stroke in front of a trio of players — Anthony Kim, Ryan Moore and Rickie Fowler.
Kim carded a 65, Moore a 66 and Fowler a 67 for 132.
Veteran Tom Lehman, nine days away from his 51st birthday, carded a 67 to head a group of six players on nine-under 133 that also included Australia’s Mathew Goggin (67) and Spain’s Alvaro Quiros (66).
Matt Every was still on the course when play was halted by darkness and was facing a three-foot birdie putt that would see him move to nine-under.
Villegas, who had an eagle, three birdies and three bogeys, said he was happy with the effort in the wake of his opening 62.
“It’s tough to shoot nine-under in one day. To do it two days in a row, it’s even harder obviously,” Villegas said.
Wilson said the desert course lent itself to the kind of birdie runs he delivered.
“I made a lot of putts, so if you’re seeing the lines good, you can roll off a string of birdies pretty quick,” Wilson said.
After completing his 62 without a bogey on Thursday, Villegas was one-over for the day after the turn, but a birdie at 10 and an eagle at 13 regained the lead. He got to 12-under with a birdie at 15, before running into trouble at 18.
His tee shot cleared the lake, but landed in a large bunker. He blasted out onto the fairway and his third shot left him 14 feet for par.
England’s Ian Poulter, winner of last week’s WGC Match Play Championship, gained ground with a 63. He admitted he was so tired after last week’s victory that he was prepared for missing the cut.
“I even booked a plane for takeoff at three this afternoon,” Poulter said.
Phil Mickelson was within striking distance at six-under.
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is the record-breaking baseball “superhuman” following in the footsteps of the legendary Babe Ruth who has also earned comparisons to US sporting greats Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. Not since Ruth a century ago has there been a baseball player capable of both pitching and hitting at the top level. The 30-year-old’s performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers have consolidated his position as a baseball legend in the making, and a national icon in his native Japan. He continues to find new ways to amaze, this year becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases
More than 180 years of horse racing came to an end in Singapore on Saturday, as the Singapore Turf Club hosted its final race day before its track is handed back to the Singaporean government to provide land for new homes. Under an overcast sky, the air-conditioned VIP boxes were full of enthusiasts, socialites and expats, while the grounds and betting halls below hosted mostly older-generation punters. The sun broke through for the last race, the last-ever Grand Singapore Gold Cup. The winner, South African jockey Muzi Yeni, echoed a feeling of loss shared by many on the day. “I’d
PREDICTION: Last week, when Yu’s father made a wrong turn to the former champions’ parking lot, he said that his son could park there after this year With back-to-back birdies on the 18th hole, Kevin Yu fulfilled his driving range-owning dad’s prediction that he would win the Sanderson Farms Championship and become Taiwan’s third golfer to claim a US PGA Tour title. The Taoyuan-born 26-year-old, who represented Taiwan in the Olympic golf at Paris, saw off Californian Beau Hossler in a playoff at the Country Club of Jackson, Mississippi, on Sunday. Having drained a 15-foot putt to claw his way into the playoff, Yu rolled in from five feet on the first extra hole, ensuring he joined Chen Tze-chung (LA Open in 1987) and Pan Cheng-tsung (RBC
LeBron James and eldest son Bronny James claimed a piece of NBA history on Sunday after making their long-awaited first appearance alongside each other for the Los Angeles Lakers. The duo appeared together at the start of the second quarter in the Lakers’ 118-114 preseason defeat to the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert, east of Los Angeles. While LeBron James impressed with 19 points in just 16 minutes and 20 seconds on court before sitting out the second half, Bronny found the going harder with zero points in just over 13 minutes on court. The younger James attempted just one