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Monday 10 February 2020
Taylor handles the wind, Mickelson to win at Pebble Beach

By DOUG FERGUSON hitting his third shot from
AP Golf Writer 227 yards away.
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Mickelson, however, missed
Nick Taylor had more trou- his chances to capitalize
ble with the wind than he on Taylor's mistakes.
did with Phil Mickelson. The He came up short of the
Canadian managed both 11th green from just under
just fine Sunday and won 100 yards with Taylor in trou-
the AT&T Pebble Beach ble. He didn't hit a green in
Pro-Am for his second ca- regulation after his tap-in
reer victory. birdie on the 10th until his
With the gallery eager to tee shot on the par-3 17th
see Mickelson add a re- that settled 40 feet away.
cord sixth victory at Peb- Taylor seized control by
ble Beach, Taylor showed chipping in for birdie on the
plenty of moxie in building 15th for a three-shot lead,
a five-shot lead at the turn and the knockout punch
and then holding on when was his tee shot to 6 feet
40 mph gusts blasted the below the hole for birdie on
Monterey Peninsula. the 17th.
He closed with a 2-under 70 He finished at 19-under 268,
for a four-shot victory over earning a two-year exemp-
Kevin Streelman (68). Mick- tion on the PGA Tour.
elson, who closed within Mickelson wasn't the only
two shots with four holes to Nick Taylor, of Canada, walks off the 18th green of the Pebble Beach Golf Links with his wife Andie player who struggled.
play, shot 74 and finished and son Charlie after winning the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am golf tournament Sunday, Dustin Johnson shot a 78.
alone in third. He has won, Feb. 9, 2020, in Pebble Beach, Calif. Matt Every, in the third-to-
been runner-up twice and Associated Press last group, shot 80. Jason
finished third in his last four Day closed with a 75.
starts at the Pebble Beach as a pro. "That was amaz- ker shot for eagle on the Five holes later, Mickelson The best round and best
Pro-Am. ing," Taylor said. "I believed par-5 sixth hole, the kind of had cut the lead to two de- finish belonged to Jordan
Taylor won in his fourth start I could do it because I've short-game shot everyone spite having only one birdie Spieth, who chipped in to
as a PGA Tour rookie at done it before. But to do it expected out of Mickelson. putt, a tap-in on No. 10. save par on his final hole for
the 2015 Sanderson Farms in that fashion, playing with And then it got ugly for Taylor ran into tree trouble a 67. It was the low round of
Championship in Mississip- Phil, gives me a lot of confi- Mickelson. off the tee at No. 11, flew the day and enabled Spi-
pi, at the time an opposite- dence going forward." He went over the green at the green into a back bun- eth to finish in a tie for ninth.
field event that didn't fea- Taylor started the final No. 8 and played an ag- ker on No. 12 and then took That narrowly moves him
ture any of the top players. round with a one-shot lead gressive chip that rolled by double bogey on the par- back into the top 50 and
He went 146 starts on the over Mickelson, and they the flag, down the slope 5 14th hole when he found makes him eligible for a
PGA Tour until his next vic- were tied after Lefty got and back into the fairway. a bunker off the tee, could World Golf Championship
tory, and it was a big one. up-and-down from a bun- He pitched the next one only advance it about in Mexico City in two weeks.
The victory gets him into ker on the par-5 second. too far and made double 100 yards and took five to Streelman also leaves with
the Masters for the first time, Seven holes later, Taylor bogey, and then made bo- reach the green. a trophy.
along with the PGA Cham- had a five-shot lead. gey on the ninth as Taylor The wind was blowing so He teamed with Arizona
pionship up the coast at He holed a 15-foot birdie holed a 7-foot birdie to go hard at that point that Tay- Cardinals receiver Larry
Harding Park in May. In his putt on the fourth, a 10-foot five shots ahead. lor's cap blew off his head Fitzgerald to easily win the
sixth year on tour, Taylor birdie putt on the par-3 fifth, Thanks to the wind, it wasn't and he had to chase it pro-am for the second time
has played only two majors and then he holed a bun- quite over. down the fairway before in three years.q

LPGA Tour cancels 2 more Asia tournaments due to coronavirus

By DOUG FERGUSON originated in Wuhan, China. HSBC) as well as IMG to host in- ond straight week in Australia.
AP Golf Writer Mainland China reported an- credible events for our players,” The cancellation means after this
The LPGA Tour has canceled two other rise in cases with deaths the statement said. week, the LPGA Tour will be out
more tournaments in Asia be- increasing by 97 to 908. China’s “The health and safety of our of action a full month before re-
cause of the coronavirus, knock- health ministry said 40,171 peo- players, fans and everyone work- turning with the Founders Cup in
ing out three of the five tourna- ple have been affected on the ing on the event is always our Arizona on March 19.
ments that comprise its first inter- mainland. highest priority.” Two other golf events in Asia have
national swing. The cancellations of the Thailand The Thailand event dates to 2006, been postponed or moved.
The LPGA said Sunday night the and Singapore events were “due while the HSBC Women’s World The PGA Tour China Series moved
Honda LPGA Thailand, sched- to the continued health concerns Championship dates to 2008. its qualifier from China to Singa-
uled for Feb. 20-23, and the HSBC and recent advisories in some They have been the backbone pore.
Women’s World Championship Asian countries” that large-scale of the LPGA Tour’s international The R&A announced this week
in Singapore, scheduled for the events should not be held, the events, offering fields limited to that it was canceling the Wom-
following week, have been can- LPGA Tour said in a statement. top players, no cuts and a lu- en’s Asia-Pacific Amateur in Thai-
celed. “It is always a difficult decision crative time for players who are land, the premier amateur event
It previously postponed the Blue to cancel events and the LPGA given free travel and lodging in in Asia that rewards the winner
Bay LPGA on Hainan Island in greatly appreciates the under- premium hotels. with a spot in two LPGA majors
China over concerns about the standing and all the efforts made The Women’s Australian Open is and the Augusta National Wom-
new type of coronavirus, which by our title sponsors (Honda and this week in Adelaide, the sec- en’s Amateur.q