Late entry Hagy tops AmEx event

Kang leads Korda sisters with 64

LA QUINTA, Calif. — Brandon Hagy didn’t find out he was in the field at The American Express until three days before it started. The Californian then left no doubt he belonged.

Hagy took the first-round lead Thursday with an 8-under 64 on the Nicklaus course, staying one shot ahead of South Korea’s Byeong Hun An in the opening tournament of the PGA Tour’s West Coast swing.

Hagy racked up 10 birdies, including three streaks of three in a row. He capped the round with a calm birdie putt on the 18th.

Hagy was added to the AmEx field Monday when secondranked Jon Rahm abruptly dropped out without giving a reason to tour officials. Rahm later said he incurred a minor injury in the gym, but the Spaniard plans to play at Torrey Pines next week.

Hagy might have made it into the field anyway after additional dropouts, but he was still grateful to Rahm, his friend and a collegiate opponent when Hagy was at Cal and Rahm played at Arizona State: “I’ll have to send him a bottle of wine or something.”

An made seven birdies without a bogey in his 65. Max Homa, Martin Laird and Si Woo Kim shot 66.

Tournament host Phil Mickelson shot a 74 with swing coach Andrew Getson serving as his caddie. His brother and usual caddie, Tim, is at home with his wife awaiting the birth of their first child.

This famed Palm Springsarea tournament has dropped its pro-am format for a year, although the likes of Landon Donovan and country singer Jake Owen participated in a charity tournament Wednesday. With fewer golfers on course, the pros are also playing on only two courses instead of the usual three.

LPGA: In Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Danielle Kang managed to steal some of the spotlight from the Korda sisters as the Tour opened its 71st season with a winners-only field at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions.

Kang opened the year with a bogey-free, 7-under 64 for a one-shot lead over Jessica Korda and Nelly Korda, along with defending champion Gaby Lopez, at Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club Orlando.

EUROPEAN TOUR: In Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Rory McIlroy again put himself in contention to win an event where he has had so many near misses, shooting an 8-under 64 Thursday in the first round of the season-opening Abu Dhabi Championship.

In 10 appearances in Abu Dhabi, McIlroy has finished second on four occasions and third three times.

McIlroy has a one-shot lead over Tyrrell Hatton (65), with later starters unable to finish their first round.