Golf
Mickelson grabs four-stroke lead in Northern Trust Open LOS ANGELES (AP) – Phil Mickelson seems determined to add Los Angeles to his collection of West Coast trophies.
A year after losing at Riviera in a playoff, Mickelson played golf as spectacular as the weather Friday in the Northern Trust Open, finishing with a 20-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 7-under 64 and a four-shot lead.
Even after starting with a 68, Mickelson felt he was close to putting his game together. It started with a 3-iron to 12 feet on the par-5 first for a simple birdie, and built momentum with a 60-foot birdie on the fifth and never slowed.
When he finished his best score ever at Riviera, he was at 10-under 132 and in firm command going into the weekend.
Robert Allenby, who won at Riviera in 2001 in the cold and rain, did OK in warm sunshine with a 66 that put him at 6 under with Jeff Quinney (67). Scott McCarron (65), Chad Campbell (70), Scott Verplank (69), Billy Mayfair (69) and Vaughn Taylor (70) were 5 under.
SBS Open
KAHUKU, Hawaii – Annika Sorenstam birdied five of the final seven holes for a 5-under 67 and a share of the lead in the LPGA Tour’s season-opening SBS Open.
The Swedish star, coming off an injury-shortened season where she failed to win for the first time since her rookie season in 1994, made an uphill 11-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th to match Erica Blasberg (68) at 7-under 137.
They will enter the final round a stroke ahead of Japanese rookie Momoko Ueda (67), Jane Park (68), Laura Diaz (68) and Cristie Kerr (69).
Players enjoyed a second day of mostly calm conditions at Turtle Bay with the wind picking up slightly late in the day.
The ACE Group Classic
NAPLES, Fla. – Loren Roberts, Fuzzy Zoeller, Tom Kite and Bruce Fleisher shot 7-under 65s to share the first-round lead in The ACE Group Classic.
Peter Jacobsen, who lives in nearby Bonita Springs, was a stroke back at 66 along with Joe Ozaki and Bruce Lietzke. Wayne Levi, Eduardo Romero, Scott Simpson, Tom Purtzer and Gary Koch shot 67s, and defending champion Bobby Wadkins had a 69.
Zoeller birdied seven of the first 14 holes in the Champions Tour event before three-putting for bogey on 15. He bounced back with a 23-foot birdie putt on No. 17.
Indonesia Open
JAKARTA, Indonesia – Chile’s Felipe Aguilar shot an 8-under 62 to take a two-stroke lead after the second round of the Indonesia Open.
Aguilar had a 13-under 127 total on the Cengkareng Golf Club course. Thailand’s Prom Meesawat (63) and South Africa’s James Kamte (67) were two strokes back in the event sanctioned by the European and Asian tours. Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke had a hole-in-one on the 142-yard fourth hole. He was 5 under after a 67.
New Zealand PGA
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand – Rain washed out play again Saturday in the New Zealand PGA Championship, forcing organizers to reduce the Nationwide and Australasian tour event to 36 holes with a proposed Sunday finish.
After rain wiped out all play Friday, 51 players managed to start the second round Saturday, but were forced from the Clearwater course less than two hours later when more heavy rain hit the area. Canadian David Hearn and Americans Darron Stiles and Matt Bettencourt shot 6-under-par 66s on Thursday to share the first-round lead.