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A22 SPORTS
Saturday 19 January 2019
Phil Mickelson shoots 68 to take 2-shot lead into weekend

LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) — solid, lot of greens, a lot of
Phil Mickelson birdied four fairways," said Luck, the
of his last five holes Friday 2016 U.S. Amateur cham-
in the Desert Classic to take pion. "Just missed a couple
a two-stroke lead into the of short ones today, unfor-
weekend in his first event of tunately. But putting's been
the year. great."
A day after matching Adam Hadwin and Steve
his career-low score with Marino were 13 under, and
12-under 60 at La Quinta defending champion Jon
Country Club, the 48-year- Rahm was another stroke
old Mickelson had a 68 on back with Wyndham Clark
PGA West's Nicklaus Tour- and Joey Garber.
nament Course to reach 16 Mickelson birdied the par-
under. 4 fifth and sixth holes, the
"I struck the ball every bit as par-5 seventh and closed
well, I just didn't putt any- with another on No. 9 . On
where close to as well as I his opening nine, he birdied
did yesterday," said Mickel- the par-5 11th and par-3
son, the tournament winner 12th , then gave back the
in 2002 and 2004. strokes with a double bo-
Lefty will play the final two gey after hitting into the
rounds on PGA West's Sta- water on the par-4 18th. Phil Mickelson watches his putt on the 10th hole during the second round of the Desert Classic
dium Course. "It really wasn't as hard golf tournament on the Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, in La
"I'm starting to drive the ball a shot as I made it look," Quinta, Calif.
a lot longer and straighter Mickelson said about his Associated Press
than I have in a while and approach on 18. "I had a
so that sets up nicely for decent lie after dropping Tiger Woods in Las Vegas The last two years I've done years ago.
that course," Mickelson off the cart path, but I had in November in a one-day, a good job of improving "I'm playing some extreme-
said. "I feel like I can play the ball a little bit below made-for-TV event. He won my putting. I've actually ly good golf again here
aggressively with the way my feet and a slight uphill the World Golf Champion- putted better the last few in the desert and just got
I'm hitting it off the tee." lie, which the tendency on ships-Mexico Champion- years than I ever have in to keep moving forward,"
Curtis Luck was second those shots is to pull it and ship last year for his 43rd my career. The last thing is Hadwin said.
after a 66 on the Nicklaus I just didn't adjust for that PGA Tour title and first since speed, because if I have Marino had a hole-in-one
layout. The 22-year-old Aus- very well and I pulled it right the 2013 British Open. speed with the driver then on the seventh hole at La
tralian rebounded from a in the water." "There's two areas that I can worry more about ac- Quinta in a 65. "There was
bogey on the par-3 eighth Mickelson is making his first guys tend to decline when curacy." like probably 15 people be-
with a closing birdie on the tour start since early Octo- they hit about mid 40s or so Hadwin had a 66 at La hind the green, but it was
par-4 ninth. ber and first competitive forth," Mickelson said. "One Quinta, the course where weird, they didn't really go
"Just like yesterday, very appearance since beating is speed and one is putting. the Canadian shot 59 two bananas," Marino said.q

Brooke Henderson leads by 2 shots in LPGA opener in Florida

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. tied for second along with "It's always fun to be in the 49 athletes and entertain- asking him questions."
(AP) — Brooke Henderson Lydia Ko (68) and Eun-Hee final group and be in con- ers competing in a modi- Mirim Lee had a 69 and
of Canada kept out of Ji (67). tention," Henderson said. fied Stableford format for a was alone in fifth place,
trouble and kept bogeys "I didn't expect to finish 4 un- "It's what we play for pretty $500,000 purse. Former ten- while Lexi Thompson (69)
off her card Friday on her der today at all because I much every single week. nis player Mardy Fish post- and Marina Alex (67) were
way to a 4-under 67 and hit everywhere. I keep miss- It's nice to be here. It's only ed 39 points for the second another shot behind.
a two-shot lead in the Dia- ing fairways and greens, the halfway point, but I still straight day, but with bo- Henderson won two times
mond Resorts Tournament and I'm at 4 under," Juta- need to make a lot of bird- geys over his last two holes, last year, including her
of Champions, the winners- nugarn said. "I'm going to ies and keep hitting it to his lead was down to one national open. She won
only start to the LPGA Tour say my short game helped win." She didn't make as point over former Atlanta the KPMG Women's PGA
season.Henderson had the me a lot today because I many birdies as she wanted Braves pitcher John Smoltz. for her first major the year
only bogey-free round at keep missing the green — in the second round, but it Jutanugarn played the sec- before. Despite shutting it
Tranquilo Golf Club at Four and I'm not missing by two was enough. Henderson ond round with former NBA down for two weeks over
Seasons. yards, I'm missing by like 10, began the back nine with star Ray Allen, and even the break while in Canada,
Ariya Jutanugarn, the No. 15 yards." two straight birdies, and though she was hitting she likes the mix she had of
1 player in women's golf No matter. She was poised closed with seven straight shots all over the course, rest and practice when she
who captured every major going into the weekend to pars to stay in the lead. she found plenty of time got back to the work.
award last season, made get her encore season off Stacy Lewis, in her first tour- to talk. "I asked him how to "Overall, I'm really happy
two bogeys, including the to a big start. nament as a mother, fol- manage when you're like to be in double digits after
par-3 closing hole. The Thai Henderson was at 10-under lowed her opening 66 with the best player, like how to two rounds. That's pretty
is not sure how she didn't 132 as the seven-time tour a 74. That dropped her to manage everything," Juta- cool, minus 10," she said.
make more, considering winner tries to match San- 17th place in the 26-player nugarn said. "We talked all "So I feel like there's not too
how she hit the ball. dra Post for the most LPGA field limited only to LPGA 18 holes, and he helped me much wrong, but just may-
She mixed in six birdies over titles by a Canadian. Hen- Tour winners each of the a lot with like how to man- be a little bit of inconsis-
an 11-hole stretch and it derson has had at least a last two seasons. age, be like a top player. tency. Some putts, I wasn't
added up to a 67, leaving share of the 36-hole lead in The field also has a strong ... It means so much to me. hitting them quite as well as
her two shots back and five of her seven victories. celebrity component, with Ray is so nice to me. I kept I would have liked."q