Thompson races to victory in Indy
INDIANAPOLIS — Lexi Thompson celebrated in the most traditional Indy style. She sipped some milk, poured the rest over her head and, of course, sealed it with a kiss of the bricks.
The 22-year-old LPGA Tour star from Florida earned it all.
After dazzling fans with two days of almost error-free golf, Thompson overcame some late bobbles for a four-shot victory over Lydia Ko on Saturday in the inaugural Indy Women in Tech Championship.
Thompson closed with a 4-under 68 to finish at 19-under 197 at Brickyard Crossing, the Pete and Alice Dye-designed golf course that weaves around and inside the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“Kind of regretting it now because I feel really gross,” Thompson said, referring to the milk bath traditionally reserved for Indianapolis 500 winners. “Then I went around the track in a Corvette Stingray, which I also have one there at home. It was just an amazing experience. That made my day right there.”
She said she hit 122 mph on the track.
Thompson won her ninth career LPGA Tour title, became the fourth player with multiple wins this season — she also won the Kingsmill Championship in May in Virginia — and the dominant weekend put her in position to jump from third to second in the world ranking
Ko had a chance to end a 14-month winless streak, but the 20-year-old New Zealander couldn’t keep up with Thompson over the final 10 holes. The low scores that seemed like such a breeze the first two days mostly disappeared in the heaviest wind of the weekend.
While Thompson had six more birdies Saturday, she also had two back-nine bogeys and had to scramble to avoid more trouble. Ko, who had only one bogey during the first two rounds, wound up with a bogey and double bogey in a closing 72.
“Lexi played great,” Ko said after her best finish since April. “She had some three- or four-footers for par and she made all of them, so it just shows you how much confidence she was playing with. But it was great being in this position.”
Nobody else really contended. Candie Kung started the day a shot behind Thompson and Ko, but finished with 74 to tie for fifth at 15 under. Minjee Lee wound up third at 14 under after a 67, while Iceland’s Olafia Kristindottir (68) was another stroke back.
Advantage, Americans
LOS ANGELES — Southern Californians Collin Morikawa and Norman Xiong teamed up for a record-setting victory in the morning foursomes and then won their afternoon singles matches to help the United States take an 8-4 lead over defending champion Great Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup on Los Angeles Country Club’s North Course.
Morikawa and Xiong beat Harry Ellis and Alfie Plant 8 and 7 in the morning, the largest margin for an 18-hole match at the biennial amateur tournament that started in 1922.
Xiong, at 18 the youngest player in the matches, then beat Connor Syme 2 and 1 after rallying from three holes down after six. College golf’s top freshman last season at Oregon, he won five of the last 11 holes.
Morikawa, who plays at California, beat Paul McBride 3 and 2.
Braden Thornberry, the 2017 NCAA individual champion from Mississippi, sealed his 2-up win over Harry Ellis, the 2017 British Amateur champion, with a remarkable 6-iron shot from 200 yards that stopped a foot from the hole. Ellis conceded. Thornberry won four of the last five holes.
Americans Maverick McNealy and Doug Ghim also teamed for a win in foursomes and then won their singles matches.
The United States needs 13 1/2 points to regain the Walker Cup. The matches conclude today.
McCarron in first again
CHIBA, Japan — Scott McCarron was in a familiar spot atop a PGA Tour Champions leaderboard, with Kevin Sutherland was close behind again.
Coming off his third victory in the past six tournaments, the 52-year-old McCarron shot his second straight 6-under 66 at Narita Golf Club to take a one-stroke lead over Sutherland after 36 holes in the Japan Airlines Championship.
Sutherland, tied for the firstround lead with Glen Day at 65, had a 68. Sutherland, 53, has five straight top-10 finishes but is still winless on the 50-and-older tour.
McCarron won the Shaw Charity Classic last week in Calgary to tie Bernhard Langer for the tour victory lead this season with four.