Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Friday 26 July 2019

Rahm matches tour low with 62 to open WGC event in Memphis

By TERESA M. WALKER so I figured I had to try
AP Sports Writer something ...,” Johnson
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — said. “I hit great shots, I was
Travelling from Northern Ire- always in good positions. I
land to Tennessee has left should have shot 3 or 4 un-
everyone who played four der on the front, I shoot 3
rounds at the British Open over. It was, yeah, not very
fighting jet lag. good.” Matsuyama was
Jon Rahm’s putter helped the first to 5 under after a
him recover pretty quickly. 21-foot birdie putt on the
Rahm matched the low- par-3 11th with the island
est round of his PGA Tour green. Then Matsuyama
career with an 8-under 62 hit his tee shot on the par-
on Thursday at the FedEx 4 12th left of the cart path
St. Jude Invitational, tak- and two-putted for bogey.
ing advantage of nearly That’s when Rahm, a three-
perfect greens to open time winner at the age of
a three-stroke lead in the 24, got going. Even though
World Golf Champion- he had only played nine
ships event. “I was pretty practice holes Wednes-
exhausted Monday and day, Rahm had very little
Tuesday, and that’s why I trouble on the 7,237-yard
decided not to do much course.
on the golf course and just The Spaniard who played
make sure mentally I was at Arizona State rolled in an
going to be ready to com- 18-footer on the 18th, then
pete,” Rahm said. made the turn with back-
He spent about an hour on to-back putts of 18 feet for
the putting green Wednes- Jon Rahm, of Spain, looks over his approach to the 9th green with his caddie during the first round three consecutive birdies.
day. He didn’t step foot of the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational Thursday, July 25, 2019, in Memphis, He hit his tee shot on the
on the front nine, his back Tenn. par-4 sixth into the weeds
nine, until he made the Associated Press left of the fairway and hit
turn, and he had five bird- “That’s what made it so fect conditions with tem- ish Open, each shot 69. his second 110 yards to 2
ies on that side. comforting because I peratures in the mid-80s Johnson was 3 over at the feet to go to 6 under.
Rahm rolled in five putts of knew, especially with the lacking the humidity Mem- turn, and the only man His putter came through
at least 16 feet for birdies greens being this pure, if I phis usually melts through in in the field to win on this again with a 16-footer
in the bogey-free opening started a ball online I was late July. course — with victories in on No. 7, then he got his
round at TPC Southwind. going to have a chance,” Justin Thomas, the winner 2012 and 2018 — switched eighth birdie of the round
The Spaniard finished with Rahm said. of the WGC event last year up his putting grip while with a yet another long
a 7-footer to save par. He Bubba Watson, Hideki Mat- in its final time at Firestone over the ball on No. 1. He putt — just shy of 16 feet
also opened with 62s last suyama, Patrick Cantlay, in Ohio, had a 68. Dustin moved his left hand below on the par-3 eight. He
year in his CareerBuilder Cameron Smith and Shugo Johnson, the St. Jude Clas- his right and worked his saved par with a 7-footer
Challenge victory and in Imahira shot 65. Henrik Sten- sic winner on this course way back under par with on his final hole.
January in the Farmers In- son and Ian Poulter were last year, and Rory McIlroy, birdies on five birdies and “I tried to put a stress or a
surance Open at Torrey among six players at 66 on who missed the cut by a one bogey. little emphasis on being
Pines. a day featuring near per- stroke last week in the Brit- “It couldn’t get any worse, rested, and it paid off to-
day,” Rahm said. “Obvi-
4 Americans lead Senior British Open ously, I have three more
days to go and hopefully
the battery lasts.”
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, Eng- pleted a bogey-free round. I only missed one green. Two weeks after winning This is the best round yet at
land (AP) — A quartet of Weather caused about My ball-striking was pretty the Bridgestone Senior Play- a World Golf Champion-
Americans — Wes Short Jr., a 3-hour delay during the good today. ers Championship for his ships event for Rahm, who
Scott Dunlap, Scott Parel day with play suspended I had the trajectory un- first PGA Tour Champions won his third PGA Tour title
and Ken Duke — topped twice because of lightning. der control, you need to title, Retief Goosen of South earlier this year teaming
the Senior British Open Former Ryder Cup captains do that. Even with a little Africa opened with a 70, as with Ryan Palmer at the Zu-
leaderboard on Thursday, Darren Clarke and Colin breeze here at Lytham, if did American Tom Lehman rich Classic in New Orleans.
together with England’s Montgomerie were tied you’re off, you’re going who won The Open here in He also tied for third at the
Paul Broadhurst, when first- for sixth with Americans to find bunkers and get in 1996. U.S. Open in June and tied
round play was suspended Woody Austin and Tom Gil- trouble.” Defending champion for 11th last week at the
due to fading light. lis, and Sweden’s Magnus Scotland’s Montgomerie Miguel Angel Jimenez of British Open. Rahm tied for
The leaders were a stroke P. Atlevi. shot a bogey-free round. Spain had three bogeys 17th in this event last year in
ahead after a 3-under 67 at Northern Ireland’s Clarke “There was a fair breeze and two birdies for a 1-over Ohio. Divots: Jordan Spieth
Royal Lytham & St. Annes. finished the round with four blowing , 10 or 12 miles an 71. was a stroke off the lead at
Parel will need to play a birdies and two bogeys hour makes a big differ- In his 18th appearance in 4 under through 11, and he
hole and Duke two holes just a week after he missed ence in links golf when the the event, Tom Watson (74) finished with birdies on two
on Friday to complete their the cut at the British Open, fairways are so hard,” said took a double-bogey at of his final three holes. But
first round. which he won in 2011. Montgomerie, a three-time the par-5 7th. he also had a pair of triple
Short made an eagle on “I played nicely,” Clarke senior major champion. Amputee golfer Geoffrey bogeys after hitting tee
the par-5 11th, Broadhurst said. “I hit a couple of poor “But it’s a good golf course. Nicholas of Australia, who shots into the water on the
did the same on the par-4 shots at the start of the We forgot how good this qualified for the event, is at 12th and 15th. He finished
13th, while Dunlap com- round but after that I think course was.” the bottom with 88.q with a 70.q