D.J. leads buddy Koepka by a shot
SHANGHAI — Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka, close friends who live down the street from each other in Florida, are in the final group going into the weekend at the HSBC Champions, the final World Golf Championships event of the year.
The PGA Tour stars and pals are separated by one shot, so it could feel like one of their money matches when they play together at home. There’s just one problem with that.
“We don’t really play much golf,” Johnson said after his 9-under-par 63 Friday at Sheshan International Golf Club for a one-shot lead over Koepka. “We go to the gym and we hang out, but we don’t go to the golf course together. We played last Saturday, and that was the first time we played in … I couldn’t tell you how long. All year, probably.”
They won both of their matches as partners at the Presidents Cup a few weeks ago, and Koepka said they saw each other for 14 out of their 21 days at home since then, though it didn’t involve much golf. Now that they’re on the course together, it could make for quite a show.
Johnson, No. 1 in the World Golf Ranking, made seven of his nine birdies in the second round on the back nine. Two of his closing birdie putts were in the 15-foot range, and he finished with a five-foot slider on the 18th to reach 13-under 131 for 36 holes.
Koepka, who had held the lead after a first-round 64, had what he referred to as a relatively boring round Friday, at least in the middle. The world’s 11th-ranked golfer opened with two straight birdies, followed with 13 consecutive pars, then birdied two of his last three holes for a 68.
Koepka and Johnson will be joined today by Justin Rose (68), who was tied for third with Kiradech Aphibarnrat (70) at 9 under. Patrick Reed, who has gone 14 months without winning, turned in a 70 and was six shots behind Johnson.
Armour above all
JACKSON, Miss. — Ryan Armour shot a 4-under 68 to take a one-shot lead at the Sanderson Farms Championship.
Armour, 41, has never won on the PGA Tour and has only four top-10 finishes in 104 career events. He made four straight birdies on the back nine and finished just before a wave of thunderstorms swept over the Country Club of Jackson and suspended play for the day.
Thirty players had not completed the second round at the time, and they’re set to finish this morning in what’s expected to be much colder weather.
Armour was at 10-under 134, with Tyrone Van Aswegen (65) in second. Vaughn Taylor shot 66 and was tied for third at 8
under with Seamus Power, who had two holes left to play.
Athens, Tenn., native Eric Axley was tied for ninth at 5 under after a second-round 71, while Chattanooga’s Stephan Jaeger had a share of 34th at 3 under with two holes left to play.
Baylor School graduate Harris English (70) was 2 over and tied for 101st, and Keith Mitchell (73), another former Red Raiders standout, was part of the group in 105th at 3 over.
Feng doesn’t fade
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Feng Shanshan had three birdies before a lengthy rain delay and three more after it, shooting a 6-under 65 to take a one-stroke lead after the second round of the LPGA Tour’s Sime
Darby tournament.
Play was halted for close to four hours because of heavy rain at TPC Kuala Lumpur, but Feng — who won this event last year and in 2014 — managed to stay steady on both sides of the interruption to lead at 11-under 131.
Madelene Sagstorm (66) was second, with veteran star Cristie Kerr another stroke back after a 63, the day’s low round.
Sei Young Kim (65) was fourth at 134, Danielle Kang (67) fifth at 135, and first-round leader Lydia Ko was part of a sixthplace logjam at 136 after struggling to a 72 that included four bogeys.
Toms, Maggert lead
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — David Toms made a hole-inone
during his opening round of 6-under 66 at the PowerShares QQQ Championship, which was good enough for a share of the lead with bogey-free Jeff Maggert.
Toms used a 5-iron to ace the 188-yard third hole at Sherwood Country Club. He birdied his next two holes and made three more birdies on the back nine.
Toms is winless in his first season on the PGA Tour Champions and sits 30th in the Charles Schwab Cup standings. The tournament is the second of three playoff events for the 50-and-older circuit. Maggert, 53, hasn’t won in more than two years.
Jesper Parnevik was one shot back, with Scott Dunlap and Miguel Angel Jimenez another shot behind.