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A18 SPORTS
Saturday 2 March 2019
Im, Mitchell share 36-hole lead at Honda Classic

By TIM REYNOLDS in much later Saturday,
AP Sports Writer with his tee time scheduled
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. for 1:35 p.m.
(AP) — Sungjae Im was in Even though the Honda is
the first group to tee off on played in an area of South
the first hole Friday at The Florida where a number of
Honda Classic. He'll be in PGA Tour players live — in-
the final group Saturday. cluding Tiger Woods — the
Im, the 20-year-old South field includes only three of
Korean rookie who around the top 20 players in the
this time last year was win- most recent world rankings.
ning the first Web.com Tour Im grew up watching
start of his career, shot a Woods, staying up until the
6-under 64 in the second middle of the night in many
round at PGA National. He cases to see him play on
shared the 36-hole lead television.
at 6-under 134 with Keith "Just watching him makes
Mitchell (66). me nervous," Im said.
It could be considered a He's got a 36-hole lead to
surprise final pairing: Com- be nervous about now.
bined, Im and Mitchell Lucas Glover (69) was
have zero PGA Tour wins. third at 5 under. Svensson
"It's just nice to kind of feel and Brooks Koepka were
like you're in contention among those in a group
and playing well," Mitchell at 4 under, and 42 players
said. "You're out there ac- were within five shots of the
tually trying to make birdies lead. "Can't be too upset
instead of trying to salvage with 1 under around here,
and trying to make a cut ... to be honest," said Glover,
trying to make a birdie and the 2009 U.S. Open cham-
force it. Today we were just Sungjae Im, of South Korea, hits from the fairway of the 10th hole during the second round of the pion who has three straight
out there trying to hit good Honda Classic golf tournament, Friday, March 1, 2019, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. rounds in the 60s at PGA
shots." Associated Press National going back to
Mitchell had five birdies his final-round 66 last year.
and bogey Friday; Im had shot a 64 on Thursday, and money-winner on the Web. "I was hitting the ball really "Wind picked up a little to-
seven birdies and a bogey Adam Svensson had one com Tour last year, was well today, so all my putts wards the end. I didn't hit
to match the low round of Friday. Im got through the atop the money list for the were under 10 feet," said it great, but got myself into
the week so far. First-round second round on only 25 entire season and played Im, who had a 6:45 a.m. tee the thing."
leader Jhonattan Vegas putts. He was the leading his way into two majors. time. He'll be able to sleep Justin Thomas also is still in
the thing, though the de-
fending champion has a lot
American Amy Olson of work to do if he's going
to go back-to-back.
leads by 2 strokes Thomas, playing with a sore
right wrist after a wayward
swing against a tree Thurs-
at LPGA Singapore day, had an eagle, a dou-
ble-bogey and a triple-bo-
gey on his way to an event-
SINGAPORE (AP) — Amy (71) and No. 3 Minjee Lee ful 74. He got in right on the
Olson's eagle on the front (71). 36-hole cut line, 2 over.
nine and a late birdie After an eagle on the par- "Hopefully, I'll at least have
on the 16th hole were 5 eighth on Thursday, Olson a chance where I can
enough for the American did the same on the par-5 In this Sept. 16, 2018, file photo, Amy Olson of the U.S. plays an make something up this
to emerge from a five-way fifth in the second round. approaching shot during the Evian Championship women's golf weekend," Thomas said.
tie from the first-round lead "I've made some pretty tournament in Evian, eastern France. Vegas reached 7 under
to shoot a 3-under 69 and good shots on both those Associated Press briefly, then finished in a
take a two-stroke lead af- par fives to set them up," group tied for 13th at 3 un-
ter two rounds at the HSBC Olson said. day." her opening round, and der after shooting a 73.
Women's World Champion- "I hit the ball really, really No. 4 Park, making her first tweeted about it later. Gary Woodland extended
ship. good today and gave my- start of the LPGA season, "Well, I tried to get out of his streak of consecutive
The 26-year-old American self a ton of birdie oppor- said she was "feeling kind some trouble by punch- made cuts to 21 with an
had a two-round total of tunities on the front, and of rusty, but happy where I ing out... I proceeded to eventful birdie on the par-
7-under 137 Friday on the honestly, I just couldn't read am at the moment." hit a tree ... and slammed 5 18th. He went over the
Sentosa Golf Club's Tanjo- the greens out there. I don't Former No. 1 Lydia Ko shot the grip end of the club in green with his second shot,
ng course. know if the pins were just in 70 and was 2-under. Nelly the ground, little did I know ran his third well past the
There was a five-way tie tricky spots but I gave up a Korda, who won the Wom- it was going to bounce hole and coolly rolled in a
for second —Inbee Park lot of opportunities on the en's Australian Open two up and hit me full force in 15-footer for birdie to get
(69), Azahrara Munoz (68), front nine. A couple putts weeks ago, shot 70 and my lip," she said on Twit- to 2 over. Woodland hasn't
Jodi Ewart Shadoff (70), No. kind of fell at the end, but was at even-par. ter. "That's what we call missed a cut since at The
1-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn just overall, kind of a steady Korda had a painful 74 in Karma."q Players Championship last
May.q