Sabbatini on Howell’s tail

China’s Feng Shanshan remained atop the leaderboard yesterday morning after the conclusion of the storm-interrupted opening round of the US Women’s Open.

Sixth-ranked Feng, seeking her second Major crown after the 2012 LPGA Championship, fired a bogey-free six-under-par 66 Thursday to grab a one-stroke lead over South Korean Amy Yang after 18 holes.

Darkness halted play with several contenders still on the course at US President Donald Trump’s golf resort, Trump National in Bedminster 80km west of Manhattan, but none could overtake Feng and Yang.

Japan’s Rumi Yoshiba completed her first round yesterday to share third with world No 1 Ryu So-Yeon of South Korea and former world No 1 Lydia Ko of New Zealand on 68.

Yoshiba, who started on the back nine, overcame a double bogey at 18, with seven birdies and a bogey. She birdied three of her final five holes, although the run also included a bogey at the parthree seventh hole.

Spain’s Carlota Ciganda joined a pack on 69 yesterday morning that included seven players despite a closing bogey.

Claiming a share of 13th on 70 were Mexico’s Gaby Lopez and Americans Marissa Steen and Nelly Korda.

Protests remain possible at the event with Trump scheduled to spend the weekend at the Bedminster facility.

Eric Trump, his son, was spotted during the opening round signing autographs in the merchandising pavilion.

The US Golf Association already has come under fire for failing to move the richest tournament in women’s golf after Trump’s controversial comments about women during his presidential campaign.

Feng, who played an event last week in China and arrived in Bedminster exhausted on Monday after an overnight flight, scored in bursts with two batches of three birdies in a bogey-free round at the course some.

“I had three birdies in the first four holes and then after that I just felt so comfortable about everything,” said Feng, who had never broken 70 in 10 previous Women’s Open appearances.

Rio Games silver medallist Ko played in a group with Feng and gold medallist Park In-bee (77) in an Olympic podium threesome and bogeyed the last after hitting a wedge from the fringe rather than putting through the frog’s hair.

Feng took it relatively easy after arriving in Bedminster, limiting herself to nine holes of practice on Tuesday and Wednesday while spending extra time on her putting.

“It was my sponsor’s tournament in China last week and I felt like it was my responsibility to actually go support my sponsor,” Feng said.

“Also, that was my first time to play in China this year, so I really wanted to see my family and all my friends back home.”

Feng said the Kumho Tire Ladies Open had proved to be a good warm-up for her – the course was narrow and forced her to hit the ball straight.

“I think that was one of my keys, why I actually played well today, because I left myself birdie chances for most of the holes,” she said. –

– Charles Howell III, trying to snap a decade-long win drought, fired a bogey-free eight-under par 63 on Thursday to match fellow American Ollie Schniederjans for the first-round lead at the US PGA John Deere Classic.

Howell, who settled for his 16th career PGA runner-up finish two weeks ago in Washington, is playing his 295th event since last winning a US tour event at Riviera in 2007 by beating Phil Mickelson in a playoff.

South Africa’s Rory Sabbatini shared third on 65 with Americans Chad Campbell, Patrick Rodgers and Zach Johnson, the 2015 British Open champion.

Howell, playing for a third consecutive week after returning from a 10-week lay-off for a fractured rib, booked a spot in next week’s British Open with his latest second-place effort.

The 38-year-old would love nothing better this week than to enter his first Major since the 2015 PGA Championship, and first British Open since 2012, by ending his victory hoodoo. His best result in 40 Major starts was a share of 10th at the 2003 PGA.

Howell opened with back-toback birdies, his first birdie putt from six feet and second from twice as far, added another at 14 and struck for back-to-back birdies again at the par-three 16th and par-five 17th, putting his approach two feet from the cup on the former and two-putting from 75 feet on the latter.

After opening his second nine with back-to-back birdies as well, Howell made six pars and sank a putt from 26 feet for a birdie at the par-three seventh.

Schneiderjans, 24, is making a run at improving on his best career PGA finish, a share of third at the Heritage last April, and taking the lone available spot on offer for next week’s British Open at Royal Birkdale. – AFP