Crazy day for golf at Match Play
AUSTIN, Texas — Phil Mickelson hit a simple chip shot toward the hole, and the ball didn’t stop until it was off the other side of the green and in the water.
Jordan Spieth felt a gust of wind as his tee shot was in the air and began pleading for it to get down. He only stopped talking when he heard the crowd cheer and saw the ball two feet from the hole.
Brandt Snedeker brought a touch of class to an exasperating day at the Dell Technologies Match Play. He watched Andy Sullivan roll a putt to within two feet of the hole, only for the wind to blow it back — seven feet away. Snedeker gave him the putt to halve the hole. “Pure class,” Sullivan said. It was pure chaos Thursday at Austin Country Club, where 30 mph gusts raged through the edge of Hill Country and made conditions so brittle and blustery, holes were won with bogeys. And it was just as wild trying to keep score after two more players withdrew.
Soren Kjeldsen and Alex Noren won their groups, one round before group play is even finished. Rory McIlroy was given the day off, and he’s already guaranteed the weekend off. But the wind had nothing to do with a domino effect of withdrawals that will allow Kjeldsen and Noren to get a day of rest today.
One day after Jason Day withdrew because his mother faces surgery for lung cancer, Gary Woodland pulled out because of a personal family matter. He was scheduled to play McIlroy in the second round, and while McIlroy was conceded a victory, he was eliminated four hours later when Kjeldsen won his second straight match. Kjeldsen was to play Woodland in the third round, so he was assured of winning the group with a 3-0 record.
And so goes McIlroy’s week — 17 holes on Wednesday when Kjeldsen beat him with four straight birdies, no golf on Thursday and a meaningless match today. All that’s left is for McIlroy, who has played just 13 competitive rounds this year, to decide whether to play the Houston Open next week.
Noren, meanwhile, had an easy time over Bernd Wiesberger for his second straight victory. He only had to beat Francesco Molinari today, but then Molinari withdrew with a wrist injury, assuring Noren of a 3-0 record and a spot in the knockout stage this weekend. Molinari pulling out also eliminated Wiesberger and Thongchai Jaidee, who get to face each other today with nothing at stake.
Along with two players already advancing, 23 players from the 64-man field already are mathematically eliminated.
Newlywed Mullinax leads in Puerto Rico
RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico — Five days after getting married, Trey Mullinax ran off nine birdies and saved par with a 15-foot putt on his last hole for a 9-under 63 to take the lead at the Puerto Rico Open.
The first round was suspended when showers turned into heavy rain at Coco Beach Golf & Country Club and the course became too wet to continue. Thirty-six golfers did not complete the first round, which was set to resume this morning.
Mullinax was coming off consecutive missed cuts in Florida when he got married Saturday to Abi Essman, whom he has dated since high school. Several of his former University of Alabama teammates were at the wedding in Birmingham, including Justin Thomas.
And then it was off to Puerto Rico, where Mullinax posted his best round of the year. He had a oneshot lead over D.A. Points.
Bill Lunde and Xander Schauffele were at 65. Former Baylor School golfer Luke List shot a 71.
Three share lead in LPGA tourney
CARLSBAD, Calif. — Cristie Kerr, Mo Martin and In Gee Chun each shot a 6-under 66 to share the lead after the opening round of the Kia Classic at Aviara.
Kerr, the 2015 Kia champion, and Martin, a native of Southern California, were among the first groups to tee off. Chun was in one of the last groups on the course and made an impressive charge in the late-afternoon shadows with birdies on five of her last seven holes.
Tied at 4 under in second place were Marissa Steen, Alison Lee, Karine Icher, Mirim Lee, Hyo Joo Kim.