Page 18 - aruba-today-20190223

A18 SPORTS
Saturday 23 February 2019
Johnson builds 2-shot lead in Mexico as Woods rallies

By DOUG FERGUSON overall, I stayed patient.
AP Golf Writer After I made the double on
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Tiger 9, I sort of righted the ship
Woods delivered the shot and made a lot of pars and
that had the gallery buzz- made one birdie.
ing. Dustin Johnson pro- “It could have been worse.
duced the golf that left ev- It could have been better,”
eryone chasing him. he said. “But still in a good
Johnson made it through position going into the
another round at the Mex- weekend.”
ico Championship with- Kuchar, going for the Mexi-
out a bogey, and he was can double having won
so efficient Friday that he the Mayakoba Classic
putted for birdie on every last fall, started with four
hole, one of them from just straight birdies on his way
on the fringe. It added to a to a 67. But it was the guy
4-under 67 and a two-shot in his own group, Tommy
lead over Rory McIlroy and Fleetwood, who had the
Matt Kuchar going into the best start of the day.
weekend. Fleetwood drove onto the
“Just hit a lot of fairways, hit green at the par-4 opening
a lot of greens,” Johnson hole and made a 20-foot
said. eagle putt. He hit driver
The memorable moments Dustin Johnson watches his putt on the 2nd green on the second day of competition of the WGC- on the 384-yard second
belonged to everyone Mexico Championship at the Chapultepec Golf Club in Mexico City, Friday, Feb. 22, 2019. about 40 yards from the
else, not all of them good. Associated Press green, picked his spot and
Woods started to figure out in his path, Woods sliced a really got to slice this thing.’ him — not for the length knocked that in for a sec-
Chapultepec Golf Club a 9-iron from about 130 yards So I opened up and gave or how far he hits it in alti- ond straight eagle.
little better in his second that caught the left side it as much of a cut motion tude, but for the thinking It was the first time a player
full round and made a col- of the green with so much as I possibly could. And it required. started a round eagle-ea-
lection of medium-length spin that it zipped sideways worked out.” “It makes you focus. You’ve gle on the PGA Tour since
birdie putts for a 66 that at the pin and rolled 10 feet Johnson was at 11-under got to think,” he said. “And Sean O’Hair in 2009 at this
got him back in the game, by. He settled for a par. 131 on a course where he you’re doing a lot of cal- World Golf Championship
though still six shots behind. “The ball was sitting down won two years ago, when culations with the numbers when it was at Doral.
He would have liked one just enough where I didn’t he was No. 1 in the world and trying to figure out How about three in a row?
more, especially with the think I could clear that and playing the best golf of how far the ball is going to Next for Fleetwood was a
shot he hit at the end of his tree,” Woods said. “I ended his career. Johnson feels he actually go. So I enjoy it. It’s par 3.
round. From a bunker right up going back to the 9-iron is heading in that direction pretty narrow, but it’s tree- “I missed the green,” he
of the ninth fairway, a tree and realized, ‘Geez, I’ve again, and the course suits lined, so I do like that.” said.
McIlroy (70) appeared He wound up with a 65 that
Shin birdies last hole to lead LPGA to be the one to chase catapulted him into a tie
when he started with two for fourth with Sergio Gar-
Thailand after 2 rounds straight birdies. He lost one cia (66), four shots behind.
shot when he went for the Rickie Fowler had a 73, a
green on the par-5 sixth reasonable score consider-
CHONBURI, Thailand (AP) and his shot caromed off ing he had a triple bogey
— South Korean golfer Jen- the hill and into the wa- and a double bogey on
ny Shin snatched the lead ter. The real trouble came his card, one shank that
at the LPGA Thailand with at No. 9 when he had a he couldn’t imagine hitting
a birdie on the last hole of 15-foot birdie putt from and one penalty that left
the second round at Siam the fringe. He ran it by the him fuming about the new
Country Club Pattaya on hole, caught the lip on his rules.
Friday. par putt and saw it roll just Fowler hit a high shank with
Shin bogeyed the sixth hole under 5 feet away, and he a wedge on the 10th hole,
but sunk five birdies in the missed again. Four putts his first of the day, over the
rest of the round, including from 15 feet led to double fence. But when he went
the par-5 18th. bogey, and McIlroy’s mo- to drop, he forgot the new
Her round of 4-under 68 put mentum was gone. rule requires a drop to be
her at 11 under overall and His attitude didn’t change, made from the knee. He
one shot ahead of the field. South Korean golfer Jenny Shin watches the flight of her ball, though. He was two off the dropped from the shoul-
Three players were tied for during the LPGA Thailand golf tournament second round at lead and liked where he der, realized his mistake on
second: Lizette Salas of the Siam Country Club Pattaya, at Chonburi, Thailand, Friday Feb. was. the green and received a
United States (68), Minjee 22, 2019. “It’s funny, I had break- one-shot penalty.
Lee of Australia (69), and Associated Press fast with a few of the boys “It’s on me. I took the shot.
first-round leader Eun-Hee she said. offseason.“I’m not a rookie that played later yesterday It was no big deal,” Fowler
Ji of South Korea (71). “I could have made a few anymore, I’m a vet, so it’s and they said it was going said. “But I think with the
Shin said she was feeling more putts. I will try to make time to get serious,” Salas to be hard to hole putts in new rules that have been
the heat and thought she sure I’m hydrated more to- said. the afternoon, and they put in place, it’s not doing
could have played better. morrow.” “I’ve found I can be more were right,” McIlroy said. “I any favors for our sport.”
“I wasn’t hydrated enough Salas said she was seeing aggressive with the driving had a couple go the op- He said it was “terrible”
this morning and I could the benefit of spending game and things are start- posite way on me. I missed new rule and expects it to
feel it by late afternoon,” more time in the gym in the ing to pay off.” q a couple short ones. But be changed.q