Byrum tops Invesco QQQ field with 66

Ex-Lobo Ewart Shadoff is one shot off lead at LPGA event

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Tom Byrum birdied five of the last seven holes for a 6-under 66 and the first-round lead Friday in the PGA Tour Champions’ Invesco QQQ Championship.

“Just got on a nice roll, made some nice putts and made some good shots and just capitalized on it,” said Byrum, a former standout at New Mexico State who also attended New Mexico. “It was just what you write up out there, ‘Picture that shot, hit it and go knock it in.’ It works out when you can do that.”

The top 54 in the season standings qualified for the second of three playoff events, with 50 players making the trip to Sherwood Country Club. The top 36 at the end of the tournament will advance to the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix on Nov. 8-11.

The 58-year-old Byrum entered the week 46th in the standings. He’s winless on the 50-and-over tour after winning once on the PGA Tour.

Scott Parel was a stroke back. He won the Boeing Classic in August for his first Champions title.

Bernhard Langer opened with a 68. The 61-yearold German star is the defending tournament champion and the points leader. He finished second behind Woody Austin last week in the playoff opener in Virginia after winning the regular-season finale in North Carolina.

LPGA: In Taoyuan, Taiwan, Wei-Ling Hsu was feeling the love from her home crowd at the LPGA Taiwan Championship on Friday and it inspired her to a 5-under 67 and a one-stroke lead after two rounds. Hsu had a total of 9-under 135 on the Ta Shee Golf and Country Club, one ahead of firstround leader Jodi Ewart Shadoff (71), a former New Mexico Lobo.

PGA: In Shanghai, Tony Finau overcame a bad break that led to double bogey for a 5-under 67 to build a three-shot lead over Masters champion Patrick Reed, Tommy Fleetwood and defending champion Justin Rose after two rounds of the HSBC Champions.

Finau was stunned when his approach to the 11th hole at Sheshan International hit a sprinkler cap in front of the green, bounced high and went over the green and into the hazard. That led to double bogey. Finau birdied three of his last five holes to restore the margin to three shots.

In Jackson, Miss., 19-year old Norman Xiong shot a 5-under 67 on another damp, chilly day at the Country Club of Jackson for a share of the secondround lead with Cameron Champ at the Sanderson Farms Championship.