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Saturday 24 auguSt 2019

Koepka leads at East Lake as stars get some separation

By DOUG FERGUSON his tee shot found the 18th
AP Golf Writer fairway, setting up the bird-
ATLANTA (AP) — A storm ie he needed.
delay at the Tour Champi- Thomas, who began the
onship slowed the momen- tournament with a two-shot
tum of Brooks Koepka and lead and was tied at the
Justin Thomas, right when top after his opening 70,
they were starting to pull quickly got his game back
ahead in the chase for the in order and went out in 32,
$15 million FedEx Cup. tied with Koepka.
The final hour Friday showed “It would be hard for me
how quickly it can change to say that it didn’t kind of
— and for Rory McIlroy, why stop my momentum be-
no one is holding back in cause I was playing really
the season finale. flawlessly that front nine,”
Koepka didn’t make a Thomas said. “The course
birdie on the back nine un- was playing a little different
til the par-5 18th when he after that delay. ... For as
hit 5-iron from 239 yards to much as I feel like I scored
8 feet behind the hole. He well on the front nine, just
had to settle for a two-putt nothing got going on the
birdie, a 3-under 67 and a back nine.”
one-shot lead. Because he He’s still one shot behind,
started the tournament at Brooks Koepka hits out of a fairway bunker on the 13th hole during second round play in the Tour and finally he has a leader-
7-under par as the No. 3 Championship golf tournament Friday, Aug. 23, 2019, at Eastlake Golf Club in Atlanta. board that makes sense to
seed, he was at 13 under Associated Press him.
going to the weekend. away. McIlroy decided to 7-under 133 over two days, said. “Whenever you’re on Thomas said it was strange
“The lead is always nice, choke up on a 5-wood and the best 36-hole score in my side of the tree, you for him to see 10 under next
so I’ll take that,” Koepka slice it around a tree some the 30-man field. So he fig- could see what’s on the to his name as he was start-
said. “The rain delay kind 50 yards in front of him, ures he’s doing something right-hand side. I obviously ing out Thursday, and that
of killed any momentum I then over the water and right with his game. curved it a lot. I thought he had a two-shot lead be-
had. I didn’t feel like I had near the green. The scoring for the FedEx that if I flushed a 5-wood, fore hitting a shot.
any good golf shots after It came out perfectly, land- Cup underwent a radi- it might be too long. So I “Today definitely felt more
the rain delay, but that’s ing in a tiny strip of grass cal change this year, with really gripped down on it. normal,” he said. “It felt like
part of golf. Everybody’s behind bunkers. He got up- players in the highest posi- In hindsight, I wish I hadn’t I was just trying to build a
got to deal with the same and-down for a 67 and was tion in the FedEx Cup get- — might have got on the lead as opposed to yester-
thing.” right where he needed to ting a head start in relation green. day.”
He was one shot ahead of be. to par. Thomas is the No. 1 “Made 4 off a bad tee shot, Koepka will play in the fi-
Justin Thomas, who played “I felt comfortable doing seed and started at 10 un- so I’m not complaining.” nal group with Thomas, the
his final 10 holes in 1 over for it,” McIlroy said. der before a shot was even Koepka ran off three last two to win PGA Tour
a 68, and McIlroy, who had Xander Schauffele also hit. Koepka began at 7 un- straight birdies late on the player of the year. McIlroy
a birdie-birdie finish. made a late surge with a der, McIlroy started at 5 un- front nine to tie Thomas for and Thomas have won the
And just not any birdie. birdie-eagle finish, holing der and Schauffele was at the lead, and then never FedEx Cup two of the last
McIlroy, who trailed by four a 25-foot putt on the par- 4 under. got back on track after three years. Schauffele
shots early on the back 5 18th for a 69. He was two The lowest score to par wins players returned to the won the Tour Champion-
nine, sent his drive on the shots behind. Paul Casey the FedEx Cup and its $15 range and headed back to ship two years ago and has
18th hole so far to the right it had a 67 and was four shots million bonus. the course. He missed the yet to have a round over
brought the out-of-bounds behind at 9 under. McIlroy didn’t want to green from the 13th fairway par in his 10 trips around
practice range into play. Giving McIlroy good vibes waste any chances, and all and made bogey. He had East Lake.
He was fortunate to have going into the weekend he saw from the woods was to scramble for par from Halfway through, and the
his ball in dirt under a pine was the score no one sees. opportunity. short of the 14th green, and FedEx Cup finale is really
tree, leaving him 242 yards McIlroy and Casey are at “I had a little gap,” he behind the 17th green. But just getting started.q
Larsen leads CP Women’s

Open after 2nd straight 66

AURORA, Ontario (AP) — Nicole Broch of Canada was three shots back after a
Larsen shot her second consecutive 6-un- 69 along with Pajaree Anannarukarn (69)
der 66 on Friday for a one-shot lead over and Yu Liu (67). Amy Olson, who has an
top-ranked Jin Young Ko midway through outside shot at making the U.S. Solheim
the CP Women’s Open. Cup team in the final week of qualifying,
Broch Larsen, who started on the back had a 68 and was another shot behind.
nine, birdied three of her last four holes to Brittany Altomare, who currently holds the
push ahead of Ko and post 12-under 132 eighth and final U.S. Solheim Cup qualify-
at Magna Golf Club. Ko shot a bogey-free ing spot on points, holed a wedge from
67. the fairway for eagle on the par-5 12th and
Broch Larsen, of Denmark, is winless in holed a bunker shot for another eagle on
Nicole Broch Larsen, of Denmark, tees off on the 10th hole during three seasons on the LPGA Tour and came the par-5 14th. But she double-bogeyed
the second round of the CP Women’s Open in Aurora, Ontario, in 89th in the points standings. the par-3 17th and settled for a 66 to finish
Friday, Aug. 23, 2019.
Associated Press Defending champion Brooke Henderson at 7 under.q