ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Francesco Laporta earned a one-shot lead halfway through the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship after carding a 9-under 63, while top-ranked Brooks Koepka struggled on Friday.
The Italian moved to 10 under after two rounds. One shot behind were Matthew Fitzpatrick of England (67) and Rafa Cabrera Bello of Spain (68).
"Every time I was putting for birdie, I made it," Laporta said. "It was a great day."
LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) Phil Mickelson drove so far left on the par-4 ninth that he was in the rough behind a tree all the way across the adjacent first fairway.
While Lefty struggled off the tee Thursday at The American Express in his first round of the year, the drive through two fairways actually wasn't a big miss because he was trying to hit into the first fairway to get a better angle to the back right pin. Read More...
Langer, Jimenez share Mitsubishi lead
KA'UPULEHI-KONA, Hawaii. (AP) Bernhard Langer and Miguel Angel Jimenez shot 8-under 64 on Thursday to share the first-round lead in the PGA Tour Champions' season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship.
Ernie Els struggled in his debut on the 50-and-over tour, shooting a 72. The four-time major winner from South Africa turned 50 in October. Read More...
Kang opens LPGA season with 8-under 63
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) American Danielle Kang stepped to the tee at the treacherous par-3 finishing hole at the LPGA’s season-opening Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions on Thursday and had a bit of a problem. Standing 204 yards from the flag stick, she told her caddie that she didn’t have a club for the shot.
That’s when she got creative, choosing a 5-wood and hitting a huge cut that traveled perfectly before settling 18 feet below the hole. She missed the putt that had 4 feet of break. But the tee shot summed up just how good her day had gone. Read More...
Ramirez leads Latin American Amateur
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (AP) Ivan Camilo Ramirez of Colombia handled the gusting conditions at Mayakoba for a 3-under 68 to build a two-shot lead after the opening round of the Latin American Amateur Championship.
The wind was so strong at El Camaleon Golf Club that only three players broke par from the 108-man field. Read More...
Euro Tour, PGA revamp slow play policies
The European Tour and PGA Tour are trying to crack down on slow play with revamped policies that allow for swifter penalty shots and for officials to target players who are taking too long to play.
The policies, while slightly different, are similar in that the objective is to encourage players to change their habits. Read More...
Byron Nelson to change venue for 2021
DALLAS (AP) The PGA Tour will move the Byron Nelson away from Trinity Forest Golf Club after the tournament is played there for only the third time this May.
The links-style course south of downtown Dallas was built in 2014 on the site of a former landfill. The Nelson moved there in 2018 after 35 years at the TPC Four Seasons in suburban Irving, Texas, about 25 miles away. Read More...
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