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SPORTS Saturday 5 auguSt 2017

Walker managing fatigue, builds 2-shot lead at Firestone

By DOUG FERGUSON can find at Firestone Coun- “The front side definitely felt
AP Golf Writer try Club. like 2015, 2016,” Day said,
AKRON, Ohio (AP) — The “There’s still a lot of golf on alluding to his best stretch
sun finally came out, a hard course, but I know of golf when he rose to
and Jimmy Walker saw a it’s there,” he said. No. 1 in the world. “I was
glimpse of what he hopes He also has a slew of play- just pouring in everything.
are brighter days ahead. ers not far behind him in this I know that it’s still in there.
In a year marked by cop- World Golf Championship. I’ve just got to keep prac-
ing with Lyme disease and Rory McIlroy put together a ticing hard. I know it will
bouts of fatigue, Walker steady round of 69 and was eventually happen.”
endured rain delays of three shots back, along Day felt he was slowed by
nearly five hours Friday and with Zach Johnson and the last — and longest — of
posted a 5-under 65 for a Hideki Matsuyama, who the rain delays. He returned
two-shot lead going into each shot 67. to three-putt the 10th for a
the weekend at the Bridge- The large group at 3-un- bogey and never got back
stone Invitational. der 137 included Jordan any momentum.
The timing couldn’t be bet- Spieth, going after his third It was like that for everyone
ter for Walker, who goes to straight victory. Spieth who slogged through a 10-
Quail Hollow next week to missed a short par putt on hour day.
defend his title in the PGA the 15th and was slipping The second round was de-
Championship. behind when he faced an layed 45 minutes at the
“It hadn’t been a lot of fun awkward lie from the edge start, and then another 45
this year,” Walker said. “But of a bunker . Stumbling out minutes when a small band
it’s nice to see some putts of the sand backward, he of storms rolled through.
go in and make some solid nearly holed the shot and A delayed of some 3 1/2
swings and keep rounds made birdie, and then he hours followed, making
going, make par putts, just stuffed his approach to 3 it feel like two separate
the stuff I haven’t been do- feet for birdie on the 18th rounds and one long day. Jimmy Walker acknowledges the gallery after finishing the
ing.” hole to salvage a 70. Walker still isn’t out of the second round of the Bridgestone Invitational golf tournament at
He was at 7-under 133, two Jason Day, winless in nearly woods just yet. He first Firestone Country Club, Friday, Aug. 4, 2017, in Akron, Ohio.
shots ahead of Thomas Pi- 15 months, also got back thought he had mononu- Associated Press
eters of Belgium, who had into the picture despite cleosis around the Masters, the year, wasn’t smooth it came back, so I took
a 70. some mild back pain. and it eventually was diag- sailing. some more. Now it’s gone.
Walker didn’t have a lot He opened with three nosed as Lyme’s disease. “It’s day to day,” he said. You just never know when
going last year until he fin- straight birdies and shot He has tried to muddle “I felt pretty good all week it’s going to spike up.”
ished well in the Canadi- 30 on the front nine to get through the year when his physically, and I wake up Among those who fell back
an Open, and then went back near the leaders, energy allowed, though this morning and I’ve just was Dustin Johnson, the
wire-to-wire at Baltusrol the though two bogeys on the there hasn’t been a lot of got his overall flu feeling in world’s No. 1 player still try-
next week to win the PGA back nine slowed him and practice. my body. So I take some ing to find his form from a
Championship. So maybe he shot 66. He was in the And even a 65, which Advil, it goes away. And back injury that knocked
there’s another spark he group at 137. matched his low score of then during the last break, him out of the Masters.q

Huh has 1-point lead at Barracuda Championship

RENO, Nevada (AP) — John and a one-point lead over gles, one in which he holed Mexico as a rookie in 2012, 125 in the FedEx Cup and
Huh made plenty of putts in Stuart Appleby and Miguel out from 160 yards on No. tied for third the only other keep his full card for next
the Barracuda Champion- Angel Carballo. 17. This is the only PGA Tour time he played the Bar- season. Huh currently is at
ship, which leads to good “Twenty-four putts is always event that uses the modi- racuda Championship in No. 112.
results no matter how the nice. That was the key to fied Stableford format that 2014. The timing couldn’t That’s a goal for eight of
score is kept. make a few birdies,” Huh awards five points for an be better. He is not in the the top nine players on the
Huh took only 24 putts on said. “Hopefully, I can do it eagle and three points for PGA Championship next leaderboard. Appleby and
Thursday at Montreaux the next three days.” a birdie, while deducting week, meaning he has Carballo are outside the
Golf and Country Club, Appleby also had eight one point for a bogey and only the Barracuda Cham- top 200.
the last one from 6 feet for birdies against two bogeys, three points for a double pionship and the Wynd- Six players were at 13 points,
his eighth birdie on his final while Carballo made up bogey or worse. ham Championship in two a group that included Ryan
hole to give him 15 points ground with a pair of ea- Huh, who hasn’t won since weeks to finish in the top Palmer. q