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Friday 18 September 2020

Thomas takes U.S. Open lead with 65 on soft, kind Winged Foot

By DOUG FERGUSON slope of a bunker, leaving
AP Golf Writer him no chance to get it
MAMARONECK, N.Y. (AP) close. There were few com-
— This wasn't the kind of fun plaints the rest of the way.
Justin Thomas had in mind He also made three birdies
for a U.S. Open at Winged around the turn, narrowly
Foot. missing a fourth in a row
For all the hype and history from just inside 10 feet at
of how much punishment the par-5 12th. Thomas felt
Winged Foot has doled out at easy, and Winged Foot
over the years. Thomas took allowed him to feel that
advantage of a surprising way. At least on Thursday.
soft and gentle Thursday The previous low score for
morning with a 5-under 65, a U.S. Open was a 66 by
the lowest score in six U.S. Fuzzy Zoeller in the second
Opens on this tough Tilling- round in 1984.
hast design. "The greens are very soft,"
And all that got him was a Thomas said. "I thought
one-shot lead over Patrick they'd be a little firmer, but
Reed among early starters, I also understood that they
with Rory McIlroy another need to err on this side of
shot behind and starting to they can get them how
swing freely. they want this weekend. ...
Thomas went into the week Justin Thomas, of the United States, plays a shot from a bunker on the 17th hole during the first It's still Winged Foot. You've
saying it was a "different round of the US Open Golf Championship, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Mamaroneck, N.Y. still got to hit the shots.
kind of fun" to grind over Associated Press That kind of was my game
pars, to hit middle irons to plan going into the week.
difficult pins instead of the ... next thing you know, you fronting the 18th green, he The greens were fast but Yeah, I need to respect the
low scoring at so many oth- make the putt on 18, you're flubbed a flop shot, pitched not as firm. Jordan Spieth course. But if I'm driving it
er tournaments. He deliv- done for the day." the next one about 8 feet discovered that on the first well and playing well, I do
ered six birdies and finished He played with Masters beyond the pin and missed hole. He was trying to figure need to try to make some
with a 25-footer on the 18th champion Tiger Woods the putt to take double bo- out if his approach would birdies."
on a putt he barely moved and PGA champion Col- gey for a73. take a hard hop and re- Reed did better than that.
to get it started down one lin Morikawa, who couldn't "I did not finish off the round lease or land soft and spin Starting with four pars and
of the many wicked slopes get done fast enough. like I needed to," Woods back. He guessed wrong, a double bogey on No.
on Winged Foot's greens. Woods was in five bunkers said, a feeling he conveyed the ball rolled down the 5, Reed hit driver to the
"Yeah, 65 is fun no matter through five holes and then five more times out of the slope to the front of the the left edge of the rough on
where you play, especially appeared to steady himself six questions he faced after green and he three-putted the short par-4 sixth and
at Winged Foot," Thomas with three straight birdies his round. for bogey. He also shot 73. chipped to 6 feet. Then, he
said. "I was in a really good around the turn to get un- Neither did Morikawa, who Thomas judged it correctly hit 9-iron that one-hopped
frame of mind, and I was der par, but only briefly. He shot 40 on the back nine for with a short iron left of the into the hole for an ace on
focused. I just was sticking made three bogeys com- a 76. flag that spun back close No. 7, and the awkward
to my routine and playing ing in, still had a chance Most irritating to Woods was to the hole for birdie. His pause of making sure it
every shot, as opposed to to post a reasonable score a missed chance to score. only dropped shot came at was a hole-in-one because
getting ahead of myself. It's and then let it get away. Low clouds added to the the par-3 third because the there are no spectators
one of those rounds where From short of the steep shelf soft feel of Winged Foot. ball settled on a downward around to cheer.q

Mariners-Padres series moved to San Diego due to air quality

SEATTLE (AP) — The Mariners' upcoming ton.
series against the Padres has been re- The Mariners already had two games
located to San Diego due to air quality against the Giants moved from Seattle to
concerns in the Seattle area. San Francisco this week because of un-
Seattle will be the home team for all healthy air quality from numerous West
three games of the series that begins Fri- Coast wildfires. The Mariners and Oak-
day night, meaning the Padres could be land Athletics played a Monday double-
in position to clinch their first playoff berth header in the smoke in Seattle and play-
since 2006 while playing as visitors in their ers expressed concern.
home ballpark. Five Major League Baseball games have
With the move, the Mariners have three now been moved due to wildfires. Forty-
home game remaining on their schedule five games have been postponed due
beginning next Monday against Hous- to COVID-19.q

Smoke from wildfires fills the air at T-Mobile Park as photos of
fans are displayed in the left field bleachers and CenturyLink
Field is visible behind the ballpark sign during the second base-
ball game of a doubleheader between the Seattle Mariners and
the Oakland Athletics, Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, in Seattle.
Associated Press