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A20 SPORTS
Saturday 27 January 2018
Palmer takes lead

Continued from Page 17 lulu two weeks ago. birdies on the front nine,
“A lot of distractions behind salvaged a few mistakes
A chip that bounced hard me,” he said. “So we’re with an eagle on No. 13
and rolled off the back of definitely playing a little and finished with a birdie
the green led to bogey and more free and clear.” for a 68. He was five shots
left him one shot outside the The biggest distraction on behind.
cut line. From gnarly rough another gorgeous day at Rahm was five shots behind
right of the fairway on the Torrey Pines was a pair of going into the weekend
par-5 ninth, he hammered bogeys early. He kept his last year and closed with a
a 6-iron to the wrong side patience, chipped in for 65, holing a 50-foot eagle
of the green, leaving him eagle at the turn, and then putt on the final hole. That
Tiger Woods watches his tee shot on the 10th hole hole of the two putts from 75 feet to finished with a beautiful was his first victory, and
North Course at Torrey Pines Golf Course during the second make birdie and get to the approach to 12 feet on the he has added three more
round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament Friday, weekend. par-5 eighth and a 20-foot worldwide.
Jan. 26, 2018, in San Diego. A beautiful lag for a tap-in birdie putt on the ninth. Few players have more
Associated Press birdie gave him a 71. And now he has to deal confidence at Torrey Pines.

“It was a grind. I fought with a big presence in golf Even when he wasn’t sure
hard,” Woods said. “Typi- — Rahm. where the ball was going
cal. Just me going out there The 23-year-old Spaniard off the tee, he didn’t drop
and fighting for whatever I won in a playoff last week a shot.
can get. It’s all good.” in the California desert, “Things are going well,
There’s a reason Woods moving him to No. 2 in the you’re playing good so
has gone so long — Au- world. If he were to win this you’re trying to get a little
gust 2015 at the Wyndham week, Rahm would go to higher, a little higher,” he
Championship — without No. 1. said.
making a cut. This was only He didn’t have his best stuff The cut was at 1-under 143,
his second PGA Tour since from tee-to-green. Rahm which was starting to look
then, the greatest reminder made enough key putts out of reach for Woods.
of back surgeries that ef- to keep him pointed in the He missed two drives well
fectively cost two full years right direction. to the left — by 65 yards
of golf. “I was able to get up-and- on his opening hole, and
He won the first battle — down for par, and not mak- deep into a hazard on his
two more days. ing mistakes and taking fourth hole, which led to
The next one is a bit more advantage of the birdie double bogey to put him
ominous. He still was 10 putts,” he said. 2 over. He made the turn
shots behind Palmer, who “I probably shot the lowest I three shots out of the cut
is going through a minor could shoot today.” line, and then holed a 50-
resurgence of his own. Palmer and Rahm will be foot birdie putt to start his
Palmer, who was at 11-un- in the final group with Luke back nine.
der 133, spent the last 18 List, who had a 66 on the His short game carried him
months on life at home af- South. from there, setting up bird-
ter his wife was diagnosed And even with Woods lin- ies on the par-5 fifth hole
with breast cancer. After gering toward the bot- and the short seventh hole.
her last dose of chemother- tom, there are plenty of The biggest adjustment to
apy a year ago, followed big names lingering going having been gone for so
by 35 radiation treatments, into the weekend. Jason long is scoring.
Jennifer Palmer has had Day had a 64 and was four He was amazed to see so
nothing but clean scans. shots behind. many players under par
Then, Palmer had surgery Phil Mickelson, who hasn’t through two rounds.
on his left shoulder to clean fared all that on the South “These guys are all going
out bone spurs and had Course since the redo low and I haven’t done
not played since August ahead of the 2008 U.S. that in a long time,” Woods
until he headed to Hono- Open, ran off a string of said.q

LPGA Tour opener suspended

because of high wind

PARADISE ISLAND, Baha- to continue through the af- competition.
mas (AP) — Brooke Hen- ternoon, forcing officials to “This morning was a differ-
derson bogeyed the first stop second-round play at ent story. The winds are up
hole to drop into a tie for 8:39 a.m. from what they were and
the lead Friday before the “Yesterday we were able we got to the point on 13
Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA to play and complete the where we could not get a
Classic was suspended for round, but we did have ball to stay at rest on the
the day because of high an isolated ball move here green.”
wind. and there, but it wasn’t On Thursday, Henderson
Sustained 30-35 mph wind much and we could get it shot a bogey-free 5-under
gusting to the low 40s right back into play,” said 68 in high wind to take a
hit the Ocean Club Golf Sue Witters, the LPGA’s vice one-stroke lead in the sea-
Course and was forecast president of Tour rules and son-opening tournament.q