Page 18 - aruba-today-20170916

A18 SPORTS
Saturday 16 September 2017
Leishman backs up good start with a low score at BMW

By DOUG FERGUSON Farms two years ago on
AP Golf Writer his way to a wire-to-wire,
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — six-shot victory. Leishman
Marc Leishman has a short has some experience with
memory when it comes to that, but it was long ago
golf, which only helped and the memory is vague,
him at the BMW Champi- naturally. He recalls open-
onship. ing with a 70 at the Toyota
He forgot all about that 62 Southern Classic on the
in the opening round. Von Nida Tour in Australia
He was nearly just as good and winning big.
Friday with a 7-under 64 He already has 18 birdies in
to open a three-shot lead 36 holes at Conway Farms,
over Jason Day and Rickie where the scoring aver-
Fowler going into the week- age was a shade under 69
end at Conway Farms. through two rounds.
“I really took that as a chal- It hasn’t been easy for ev-
lenge today, to not take it eryone, particularly de-
for granted that you’re just fending champion Dustin
going to make birdies,” Johnson. The world’s No.
Leishman said. “You still 1 player can’ seem to buy
have to earn every birdie. a putt, and even when
I think when you do get he started to make a little
ahead of yourself, that’s progress, he finished bo-
when bad stuff can hap- Marc Leishman watches his tee shot on the fourth hole during the second round of the gey-bogey by taking two
pen.” BMW Championship golf tournament at Conway Farms Golf Club, Friday, Sept. 15, 2017, chips to get on the 17th
There was plenty of good in Lake Forest, Ill. green and hitting into the
stuff from the guys chasing Associated Press water on the 18th.
him in the third FedEx Cup Patrick Cantlay extended
playoff event. 17th hole with a 7-iron that then Day decided to give “The ultimate goal is to win his remarkable run this sea-
Day, who has gone 16 turned into a payoff for the car he won to the Ev- this week,” Day said. “That’s son with a 65, leaving him
months since his last vic- multiple parties. ans Scholars, which will the thing I’ve been trying to alone in fourth place but
tory, chipped in from be- It carried day to a 65, put- yield another full, four-year do this whole season — at six shots behind. Cantlay
hind the 14th green for his ting him in the last group scholarship for another stu- least win once, and try to returned after three years
second eagle of the week, on the weekend with dent.Fowler also chipped build on that.” away to cope with a se-
and then added a third Leishman. BMW award- in for eagle on the reach- Leishman was at 16-under vere back injury and the
eagle with one swing. He ed $100,000 to the Evans able par-4 15th hole on his 126, two short of the 36-hole death of his close friend
made a hole-in-one on the Scholars Foundation, and way to a 64. record Day set at Conway and caddie, Chris Roth,
who was hit by a car as
they were walking to din-
ner.Cantlay is playing his
11th tournament this year,
yet he is No. 41 in the FedEx
Cup and could get into
the Tour Championship
if he finishes in the top 30
after this week. Phil Mickel-
son is trying to work his way
into the top 30, and while
he sputtered with two bird-
ies, two bogeys and too
many pars, he drilled an
approach to 5 feet on the
par-5 14th for an eagle. He
shot 69 and was at 7-under
135, in a tie for 12th.
Jordan Spieth, No. 1 in the
FedEx Cup after succes-
sive runner-up finishes in
the playoff events, only
managed a 70 and joined
Mickelson in the group at
135.
Leishman is hitting his stride
at just the right time. Two
weeks ago at the TPC Bos-
ton, he took a two-shot
lead into the back nine
only to get passed by Jus-
tin Thomas and Spieth by
shooting 40 on the back
nine to finish third behind
Thomas.q