Page 18 - aruba-today-20200222

A18 SPORTS
Saturday 22 February 2020
Bryson DeChambeau birdies his way to 1-shot lead in Mexico

By DOUG FERGUSON putting surface, leaving
AP Golf Writer DeChambeau a downhill
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Bryson putt that is tough to lag.
DeChambeau kept mak- His putt was perfect pace,
ing so many birdies in the and a perfect line, as it
Mexico Championship turned out.
that when he rolled in his "I just threw my hands up
ninth one from 45 feet, all in the air. I mean, come
he could do was throw on. Who thinks I'm going to
his hands in the air in pure make this one?" DeCham-
wonder. beau said. "Matt (Fitzpat-
He wasn't alone Friday in rick) just looked at me and
making birdies, although he was like, 'What are you
Rory McIlroy would like to doing? Go get a lottery
have joined the party. ticket or something.'"
DeChambeau made sev- Reed seems to play his best
en birdies in an eight-hole with a chip on his shoulder,
stretch at Chapultepec and his 63 comes after a
Golf Club for an 8-under week in which Brooks Ko-
63, giving him a one-shot epka and ex-CBS broad-
lead over Erik van Rooyen caster Peter Kostis brought
of South Africa and Patrick up his rules violation in the
Reed at the halfway point Bahamas, stirring more bad
of this World Golf Champi- Bryson DeChambeau of the United States follows his tee off at the tenth hole during the second memories.
onship. DeChambeau was round for the WGC-Mexico Championship golf tournament, at the Chapultepec Golf Club in Mex- "I'm not going to lie, just the
at 11-under 131. ico City, Friday, Feb. 21, 2020. whole thing on the outside
Van Rooyen, who played Associated Press distracts us from our ulti-
college golf at Minnesota, mate goal, and that's to
celebrated his 30th birth- Thursday. until his 12th hole and fell six wasn't that difficult to figure go out and play great golf
day by making nine bird- Hideki Matusyama was 9 shots behind at one point. out. and continue to try to im-
ies to tie the course record under for his round through Two birdies at the end gave "I just made a lot of putts to- prove every day on and off
with a 62. Reed made five 15 holes and had a 20-foot- him a 69, and the world's day," he said. the golf course," Reed said.
birdies on the back nine for er birdie attempt from the No. 1 player was only three His big run began on the "As long as you're doing
a 63 fringe on the par-3 sev- shots behind. 18th hole with a 15-foot that, then you're living the
Justin Thomas ran off four enth. He missed that 3 feet "I made eight pars in a row, birdie putt. He got up-and- right way. So at the end of
straight birdies to end to the left, then missed the and then it's like, 'OK, you're down from short of the the day, you can't please
the back nine, and then next one. He bogeyed the either going to make a green on the reachable everybody, and I feel like
holed a 35-foot eagle putt next hole, too, and had to birdie or a bogey. What's par-4 first hole, made a I'm doing everything I need
to build a three-shot lead settle for a 64. That left him going to come first?' And I 15-footer on the net hole, to be doing to continue to
through 10 holes. That was at 9-under 133, along with ended up making bogey," added a few birdies inside strive in the game of golf,
gone in a matter of four Thomas, who had to settle McIlroy said. "There's a long 6 feet, and then made a hopefully on and off the
holes as player after player for a 66. way to go." 25-foot birdie. That appar- golf course."
kept rolling in putts on a McIlroy wasn't so fortunate. DeChambeau can use all ently wasn't enough. Most intriguing of the lot is
day with much less wind Staked to a two-shot lead the science he wants with His tee shot on the 223-yard van Rooyen, who finished
and far better scoring. The at the start of the day, he calculations for altitude seventh hole with a green the year among the top
average score 70.28, more opened with eight straight and air density. The differ- fronted by water went- 50 to earn his first trip to the
than two shots better than pars, didn't make a birdie ence for him on this day toward the back of the Masters. q
Rybakina reaches 4th final of 2020 in Dubai; facing Halep

DUBAI, United Arab Emir- bakina's) done already this came from 3-0 down in the
ates (AP) — Elena Rybakina year," Halep said. second.
of Kazakhstan will play her "I saw her a little bit during "She has really good slices,"
fourth final of the young some matches. Rybakina said of Martic.
WTA season at the Dubai She has a big serve. I have "Her serve, it's not flat like I
Championships. to pay attention on my re- played with Pliskova for ex-
Rybakina beat eighth- turn and to be like today: ample. It's a completely dif-
seeded Petra Martic of Confident, aggressive if ferent style of game. It was
Croatia 7-6 (5), 7-6 (2) in the there is a chance, just fight- not easy to start against
semifinals on Friday, com- ing. It's the best thing to do her. But I tried to work ev-
ing from a break down and now." ery point. Second set, I was
saving a set point in each This week alone, Rybakina 3-0 down, but I knew it's go-
set. has knocked out new Aus- ing to be easier to win this
In the final on Saturday, Ry- tralian Open champion So- set than play a third one. I
bakina will face top-seed- Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina returns the ball to Croatia's Petra fia Kenin and former No. 1 wanted to win the second
ed Simona Halep, who dis- Martic during a semi final match of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Karolina Pliskova. Against so much."
patched American quali- Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Friday, Feb. 21, the tricky Martic, Rybaki- No. 2-ranked Halep goes
fier Jennifer Brady 6-2, 6-0. 2020. na fought in the rallies to after her second Dubai
So far this year, Rybakina outlast the Croatian. She title, her 20th singles title,
has, in succession, played bart for her second career Petersburg final last week. stopped Martic from serv- and her first since 2019
the Shenzhen final, won Ho- title, and reached the St. "It's amazing what (Ry- ing out the set at 5-4, and Wimbledon.q