Page 20 - ARUBA TODAY

A20 SPORTS
Friday 23 February 2018
Noren, Simpson lead at Honda; Woods has solid 70

By DOUG FERGUSON ble bogey and shot 72. ada shot his 67 with a bo-
AP Golf Writer Noren, who lost in a playoff gey from a bunker on No. 9.
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. at Torrey Pines last month, Woods, in his third PGA Tour
(AP) — Tiger Woods had shot 31 on the front nine event since returning from
what he called "easily" his and finished with a 6-foot a fourth back surgery, ap-
best round hitting the ball, birdie on the ninth hole into pears to be making prog-
and he didn't even break a strong wind for his 66. ress.
par at the Honda Classic. The Swede is a nine-time "One bad hole," he said.
Alex Noren and Webb winner on the European "That's the way it goes."
Simpson shared the lead Tour who is No. 16 in the It came on the easiest
at 4-under 66 in steady world, though he has yet to hole on the course. Woods
wind on a penal PGA Na- make a connection among drove into a fairway bunker
tional golf course, and felt American golf fans — out- on the par-5 third, laid up
as though they had to work side of Stillwater, Oklaho- and put his third shot in a
hard for it. Both dropped ma, from his college days bunker. He barely got it out
only one shot Thursday, at Oklahoma State — from to the collar, used the edge
which might have been as not having fared well at big of his sand wedge to putt it
great an accomplishment events. Noren spends time down toward the hole and
as any of their birdies. in South Florida during the missed the 3-foot par putt.
"When you stand on cer- winter, so he's getting used He answered with a birdie
tain tee boxes or certain to this variety of putting sur- and made pars the rest of
approach shots, you re- faces. the way.
member that, 'Man, this is "I came over here to try to "I'm trying to get better,
one of the hardest courses play some more American- more efficient at what I'm
we play all year, including style courses, get firmer doing," Woods said. "And
majors,'" said Simpson, who greens, more rough, and also I'm actually doing it
is playing the Honda Clas- to improve my driving and under the gun, under the
sic for the first time in seven improve my long game," pressure of having to hit golf
years. Noren said. "So it's been shots, and this golf course is
Only 20 players broke par, great." not forgiving whatsoever.
and just as many were at PGA champion Justin I was very happy with the
76 or worse. Thomas, Daniel Berger and way I hit it today."
Woods had only one big Morgan Hoffmann — who Woods played with Pat-
blunder — a double bo- all live up the road in Ju- ton Kizzire, who already
gey on the par-5 third hole piter — opened with a 67. has won twice on the PGA
when he missed the green There's not much of an ad- Tour season this year. Kizzire
and missed a 3-foot putt — vantage because hardly had never met Woods until
in an otherwise stress-free anyone plays PGA National Thursday, and he yanked
round. He had one other Alex Noren, of Norway, reacts after putting on the ninth hole the other 51 weeks of the his opening tee shot into
bogey against three bird- during the first round of the Honda Classic golf tournament, year. It's a resort that gets a palmetto bush. No one
ies, and was rarely out of Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018 in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. plenty of traffic, and condi- could find it, so he had to
position. Even one of his Associated Press tions aren't quite the same. return to the tee to play his
two wild drives, when his Louis Oosthuizen, the South third shot. Kizzire covered
ball landed behind two Adam Scott, who again Rory McIlroy was at even African who now lives pri- the 505 yards in three shots,
carts that were selling fro- stumbled his way through par deep into the back marily in West Palm Beach, an outstanding bogey con-
zen lemonade and soft the closing stretch of holes nine when he figured his also came out to PGA Na- sidering the two-shot pen-
pretzels, he still had a good that feature water, wa- last chance at birdie would tional a few weeks ago to alty.
angle to the green. ter and more water. Scott be the par-5 18th. Once get a feel for the course. He Later, he laughed about
"It was very positive today," went into the water on the he got there, he figured was just like everyone else the moment.
Woods said. "It was a tough par-3 15th and made dou- his best chance at birdie that day — carts on paths "I was so nervous," Kizzire
day out there for all of us, ble bogey, and then hit into was to hit 3-wood on or only. Not everyone can said. "I said to Tiger, 'Why
and even par is a good the water on the par-3 17th near the green. Instead, he hole a bunker shot on the did you have to make me
score." and made triple bogey. He came up a yard short and final hole at No. 9 for a 67. so nervous?'"
It was plenty tough for shot 73. into the water, made dou- Mackenzie Hughes of Can- q

Lee, Thompson, Korda, Moriya lead after Thailand first round

CHONBURI, Thailand (AP) — and local hope Moriya Ju- Lee won the Vic Open near bogey the third hole. She Moriya was the only player
Three-time tour winner Min- tanugarn. "I just hit the col- Melbourne this month and shot four more birdies. among the four to end the
jee Lee of Australia finished lar. I didn't know if I was go- opened her 2018 U.S. LPGA "It definitely helps to get that day without a bogey. "I had
with a superb eagle putt to ing to have enough. Such Tour account last week at kind of start, but I was just a good start today, it was
be among the four leaders a big break there. I'm glad the Women's Australian trying to keep that momen- better than I expected,"
after day one of the LPGA it caught the hole," Lee Open, finishing fifth. tum and not get ahead of said Moriya, who was sev-
Thailand at Siam Country said. "It's a second-shot golf Thompson, who won this myself," Thompson said. Her enth here last year.She's try-
Club on Thursday. course. Your approaches event in 2016 by six shots compatriot Korda had a ing to become the first Thai
Lee sank a 45-foot putt on are really important, and with a 20-under total and rollercoaster round which winner of the tournament.
the 18th hole to card a 6-un- obviously being in the right tied for fourth last year, featured eagles on the first Two-time champion Amy
der-par 66 for a shot lead spots with the undulation. started her latest round and 17th holes, five bird- Yang and world No. 2 Sung
with 2016 champion Lexi And if you have a hot put- in style with an eagle fol- ies, a double bogey on the Hyun Park were among six
Thompson, Jessica Korda, ter that's going to help." lowed by a birdie only to sixth, and two bogeys. players at 5 under.q