Gilbert among leaders at senior event in Carolina
CARY, N.C. — Ooltewah’s Gibby Gilbert III was part of a threeway tie for the lead after Friday’s opening round of the PGA Tour Champions’ SAS Championship.
Gilbert, David McKenzie and Jerry Smith shot 5-under-par 67s at Prestonwood Country Club as the senior circuit’s regular-season finale got underway.
Gilbert made five birdies in his third appearance this season on the 50-and-older tour. He also played at the U.S. Senior Open, the 3M Championship and the Pure Insurance Championship, making the cut in the last two events.
Bart Bryant, Jerry Kelly and Fran Quinn were a stroke back to share fourth. Kelly has won two of his past four starts.
Making his fifth start on the tour, McKenzie entered the week 64th in the Charles Schwab Cup standings. The top 72 will advance to the playoff opener next week in Richmond, Va.
The Australian qualified for this tournament Monday, shooting a 3-under 69 and winning a three-man playoff for the fourth and final spot.
Perez takes lead
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Pat Perez led by a stroke halfway through the CIMB Classic after carding a 7-underpar 65 around a four-hour delay for rain.
Perez had eight birdies, including four in a row, during the second round and was at 13-under 131 after 36 holes. In second place was Xander Schauffele (67), who was recently named the PGA Tour’s rookie of the year for 201617 after winning twice last season, including at the Tour Championship.
Sung Kang (68), Thomas Pieters (67) and first-round leader Cameron Smith (71) were four strokes off the lead and tied for third in the event sanctioned by the PGA Tour and the Asian Tour.
Former Baylor School standout Luke List remained tied for 23rd after his second straight 70.
Justin Thomas, the reigning PGA Tour player of the year and the tournament’s winner the past two years, followed his opening 70 with a 71 and dropped into a tie for 33rd.
Major rewards
ATLANTA — Matt Parziale won the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship by routing Josh Nichols 8 and 6 in the 36-hole
final to earn spots in the Masters and the U.S. Open next year.
Parziale, a 30-year-old firefighter from Brockton, Mass., made 10 birdies — including eight during the morning 18 — over 30 holes at Capital City Golf Club’s Crabapple Course.
Last week, the United States Golf Association announced the U.S. Mid-Amateur winner would earn a spot in the U.S. Open, set for June 14-17 at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, New York.
Fraser goes low
MONZA, Italy — Marcus Fraser shot the lowest round of his European Tour career to take a share of the lead at the midway point of the Italian Open.
Fraser produced nine birdies — including five straight in the middle of his round — and no bogeys for a second-round 62 that took him to 13 under in the European Tour event. Co-leader Matt Wallace also avoided bogeys on his way to a 65.
Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Jamie Donaldson each shot a 67 and were tied for third, two strokes behind the leaders. Francesco Molinari, the first-round leader and the tournament’s 2016 winner, shot a 68 and was one stroke further back in fifth.
Yin up by two
INCHEON, South Korea — Angel Yin shot a 7-under 65 and took a two-stroke lead through two rounds of the LPGA Tour’s KEB Hana Bank Championship.
Yin had an eagle on the par-5 fifth hole and six birdies, offset by a lone bogey on No. 17, to move to 11-under 133.
First-round leader Sung Hyun Park (69), In Gee Chun (65) and Jin Young Ko (67) were tied for second. Cristie Kerr, coming off a victory in France, shot 69 and was in a group of five tied for fifth at 8 under.