Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18
Friday 15 September 2017

Leishman opens with a 62, leads BMW

That might not have been seven straight birdies, but
nearly as significant as the he chose not to take on the
good vibes from a six-shot stream at the par-5 18th
victory at Conway Farms and laid up. He hit wedge
two years ago. to 12 feet and missed the
Whatever the case, he birdie putts, with no regrets.
had no complaints about This was only Thursday, and
his lowest score since a 63 he saw no need in ruining
in the AT&T Byron Nelson a big finish with a shot he
in May, and his best open- would have had to hit flush.
ing round since a 63 at The “Come Sunday, if I’m in
Players Championship a good position, that will be
year ago, which was the a go, and see what hap-
In this Marcy 28, 1999, file last tournament he won. pens,” he said.
photo, Los Angeles Lakers’ “A good step in the right Tony Finau, Keegan Brad-
Kobe Bryant shoots over
New York Knicks’ Patrick direction, especially with ley and Rafa Cabrera Bello
Ewing during the first half of having Luke on the bag,” also were at 65, while Phil
an NBA basketball game in Day said. “Obviously, not Mickelson played bogey-
Inglewood, Calif. having Colin on the bag is free and opened with a 66.
Associated Press something different and I The top 30 in the FedEx Cup
L.A. Lakers to just didn’t know how I was after this week make it to
going to play. I think Luke the Tour Championship at
retire Kobe did a fantastic job out East Lake for a mathemati-
there.
cal shot at the $10 million
Bryant’s 2 We worked well together bonus, with odds signifi-
and hope we can keep cantly higher depending
jersey numbers that going.” on the position in the stand-
Charley Hoffman, picked ings. The top five players —
in December for the Presidents Cup a Spieth, Justin Thomas and
Johnson
week ago, birdied his last Dustin
already
By GREG BEACHAM two holes for a 64. Jamie are assured that position
AP Sports Writer Lovemark also had a 64 — would only have to win
LOS ANGELES (AP) — One with a little more style, drill- at East Lake to claim golf’s
retired jersey number just Marc Leishman watches his tee shot on the fourth hole during ing a fairway metal over richest prize.
isn’t enough for Kobe Bry- the first round of the BMW Championship golf tournament at the creek to 8 feet for ea- Thomas hit a tee shot into
ant and the Los Angeles Conway Farms Golf Club, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017, in Lake gle on the par-5 18th. the water on the par-3
Lakers. Forest, Ill. Jordan Spieth, a runner-up 11th and made double bo-
The Lakers will retire Bry- Associated Press in the last two FedEx Cup gey, though he still shot 67.
ant’s No. 8 and No. 24 in a By DOUG FERGUSON and then ran off seven bird- playoff events to take over Johnson had a three-hole
ceremony Dec. 18 during AP Golf Writer ies in a nine-hole stretch in the No. 1 spot in the stand- stretch at 4 over early in his
their game against Golden LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — the middle of his round and ings, turned a wild tee shot round and recovered for a
State, the franchise an- Marc Leishman left his golf matched his best score on into a birdie on the open- 71.
nounced Tuesday. clubs in his garage during the PGA Tour. ing hole, added a 30-foot For players like Mickelson,
Bryant wore No. 8 from 1996 his week break from the “When you play golf and birdie from off the green at Finau and Bradley, they
to 2006, when he switched FedEx Cup playoff and it all you’re thinking about No. 5 and settled down the need to play well over
to No. 24 for the remainder didn’t change anything. his making birdies, it’s a lot rest of the way for a bogey- the next three days to get
of a 20-year career spent He made 10 birdies in the easier than trying to not free 65. into the top 30. Mickelson
entirely with the Lakers. He opening round of the BMW make bogeys,” Leishman “I felt like I really stole a few found something a few
will be the 10th player hon- Championship for a 9-un- said. shots out of this golf course, weeks ago, whether it was
ored by the Lakers with a der 62 to build a two-shot Day made five birdies on which is rare to feel like you medication or his diet as it
retired number hung high lead. the back nine to atone for scored better than you relates to psoriatic arthritis,
on the Staples Center wall, Jason Day made the big- a sluggish start in a tourna- played,” Spieth said. but it has given him great
but the first in NBA history to gest change of his career ment where his expecta- Also at 65 was Rickie Flow- clarity of the shots he sees
have two numbers retired and had a 64, his best start tions were up in the air. er, who showed a streaky and more energy to keep
by the same team. in 16 months. He decided last week that side. Fowler birdied the first his mind from drifting. He
“Kobe’s jerseys are taking The race to the FedEx Cup Colin Swatton, the most hole. He bogeyed the sec- tied for sixth two weeks
their rightful home next to finale got off to a blistering meaningful figure in his golf ond hole. ago outside Boston and
the greatest Lakers of all start Thursday at Conway career, would no longer He followed with nine was sharp again at Con-
time,” Lakers owner Jeanie Farms, and no one could caddie for at least the rest straight pars. And then way Farms. Lefty already
Buss said. “There was never top Leishman. The Austra- of the year. Day instead he ran off six straight bird- is assured of competing in
any doubt this day would lian finished third at the TPC used an old roommate ies, capped by a 65-foot his 23rd consecutive team
come. The only question Boston two weeks ago, did from his school days in Aus- pitch from short of the 17th competition as a captain’s
was when. nothing last week except tralia, Luke Reardon. If that green. pick for the Presidents Cup.
practice putting in the wasn’t enough, he also Fowler had a chance to Now he’d like to make it
Continued on Page 22 room above his garage, changed putters. match a career best with back to East Lake.q