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SPORTS Friday 8 February 2019

Mickelson hits every fairway and starts well at Pebble

By DOUG FERGUSON And there was no shortage
AP Golf Writer of entertainment, as usual.
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) Brandt Snedeker prob-
— Phil Mickelson has been ably wasn’t thinking birdie
coming to the AT&T Pebble when his tee shot on the
Beach Pro-Am since 1995 par-5 18th at Pebble Beach
and has won it four times, so missed left and bounced
there isn’t much he hasn’t down to the sandy shore.
accomplished along the He played it off the beach
Monterey Peninsula. Thurs- back to the fairway, hit
day delivered something 7-iron to 10 feet and made
new. the putt for a 69.
Mickelson didn’t miss a sin- “I didn’t hit myself, I didn’t
gle fairway. fall down getting out of the
“History was made today,” rocks down there — it was
Mickelson said after his a little slippery,” Snedeker
6-under 65 at Monterey said. “So it all worked out
Peninsula, leaving him one great. I’m feeling like a ge-
shot behind Brian Gay and nius right now, but at the
Scott Langley. “To the best time I didn’t know.”
of my knowledge, it’s tak- Keith Mitchell hit a left-
en me 27 years and a few handed shot from a wood-
months to hit all fairways in en bridge at Monterey Pen-
a single round in competi- insula through the rough Phil Mickelson hits his approach shot from the second fairway of the Monterey Peninsula Country
tion. I may have done it be- and onto the green that led Club Shore Course during the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am golf tournament
fore, but I don’t ever recall to par and duly impressed Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019, in Pebble Beach, Calif.
doing it.” his amateur partner, PGA Associated Press
His accuracy was better Tour commissioner Jay Mo- of his round at Monterey ed a bunker shot on the the PGA Tour.
than his memory. nahan. Peninsula. He finished with 15th hole for his only bogey Ho Sung Choi, the South
According to the PGA Tour, Bill Murray kept everyone a birdie that allowed him and drove into bushes and Korean who has become
Mickelson has done it sev- laughing even after his to tie Gay for the first-round had to take a penalty drop a video sensation with the
en times, most recently 21 round, when a volunteer lead. on the par-5 16th, where he gyrations he makes after
years ago at Torrey Pines. asked him to sign his cap. Cody Gribble had a 6-un- managed to save par. his swing, played alongside
Perhaps even more re- Murray noticed Pat Per- der 66 at Spyglass Hill and Si He played in his usual group Green Bay Packers quarter-
markable about that round ez had already signed it, Woo Kim had a 6-under 66 with hockey great Wayne back Aaron Rodgers, who
in 1998 was that even play- looked at the scribbling on at Pebble Beach. The four Gretzky, Jordan Spieth and greeted him with “hello” in
ing from the short grass on the bill of the cap and said, scores at 6 under were at country singer Jake Owen. Korean.
every shot, he still had a 73. “He misspelled his name.” Monterey Peninsula, includ- Spieth chipped in for birdie And now the real work be-
That wasn’t the case on And there was plenty of ing Jason Day. and made plenty others to gins.
an ideal day — perhaps good golf along the way. Dustin Johnson, not so fresh join Johnson at 66. A few clouds began to ar-
the last beautiful day of Gay finished his front nine after his victory Sunday It wasn’t easy for every- rive from the Pacific, with
the week — for scoring. at Monterey Peninsula with halfway around the world one. Defending champion more on the way. The fore-
Over three rain-softened five straight birdies. Lang- at the Saudi International, Ted Potter Jr. made two cast is for rain and wind at
tracks — the Shore Course ley, who shared low ama- didn’t look worse for the birdies on his opening nine various points over the next
at Monterey Peninsula, Spy- teur honors in 2010 at Peb- wear. He had a 5-under holes at Spyglass and still two days, perhaps into
glass Hill and Pebble Beach ble Beach in the U.S. Open, 66 at Monterey Peninsula, shot 42. The next nine were Sunday. The starting times
— 59 players in the 156- made seven birdies in a 10- despite a few wobbly mo- not much better and his 82 were moved up an hour on
man field shot in the 60s. hole stretch in the middle ments late when he blad- matched his high score on Friday..q

Panama rallies to beat reigning champion Puerto Rico

Associated Press Jonathan Galvez and Ro- Boscan had a strong outing
PANAMA CITY (AP) — drigo Orozco to make it and Venezuela got its sec-
Pinch-hitter Jilton Calde- 7-6. Calderon scored on ond victory in the tourna-
ron hit a go-ahead two-run a single by Allen Cordoba ment by beating Cuba 1-0.
double in the top of the to make it 8-6. David Vidal Boscan allowed three hits
ninth inning and Panama had an RBI single with one and no runs in 6 2/3 innings
rallied from a five-run defi- out in the bottom of the for the the Cardenales de
cit to beat Puerto Rico 8-7 ninth as Puerto Rico tried Lara, who are in first place
on Wednesday night for its to come back, but Manny in Group A. The Cuban
second win in the Carib- Corpas got the last two team, Leneros de Las Tu-
bean Series. outs in the ninth inning for nas, are second at 1-1m
Two-time reigning champi- the save. and Mexico is last with at
on Puerto Rico led 6-1 after The Toros de Herrera, from 0-2. Venezuela was the
six innings, but the Pana- Panama, are 2-0 in the Se- host nation for this year*s
manians scored four runs Players of Panama’s Los Toros de Herrera celebrate runs by ries. The Estrellas Orientales, championship, but the Ca-
in the seventh and finished teammate Allen Cordoba and Elmer Reyes during the eighth from The Dominican Re- ribbean Professional Base-
inning against Puerto Rico’s Cangrejeros de Santurce at the
the comeback in the ninth. Caribbean Series baseball tournament at Rod Carew stadium in public, are 1-1, and Puerto ball Leagues decided to
Calderon hit a line drive Panama City, Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019. Rico is 0-2. move it to Panama for se-
to left field, bringing home Associated Press In the first game, Wilfredo curity reasons.q