Two teams a bit better so far at Zurich Classic
AVONDALE, La. — Lucas Glover had quite a few good moments at TPC Louisiana on Thursday. So did teammate Chez Reavie.
In better-ball format, the most important thing was that those moments came on different holes.
Glover and Reavie teamed to shoot a 12-under-par 60 for a share of the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic lead with China’s Zhang Xinjun and Dou Zecheng.
“Chez started well, and I picked it up in the middle of the back nine,” Glover said. “He closed it off, and then we both played really well on the front. Just kind of ham-and-egged it, I guess, as they would say.”
Glover and Reavie each had six birdies, pushing through soggy weather early in the round before conditions cleared. Six teams were two shots back in a tie for third after shooting 62: Scott Brown-Kevin Kisner, Brendon de Jonge-Troy Merritt, Tony Finau-Daniel Summerhays, Tommy Fleetwood-Chris Paisley, J.J. Henry-Tom Hoge and Michael Kim-Andrew Putnam.
“We were just rolling,” Reavie said. “I think we’re comfortable. We like to laugh and have a good time when we’re playing golf, and it definitely helps.”
Zhang and Dou birdied four of their final five holes. Dou made a 31-foot putt on No. 9 to cap the impressive rally and jump into a share of the lead.
It’s the first time since last year’s Tour Championship that the reigning champs of all four majors have been in the same field. None of them were among the leaders after the first round.
Masters champion Patrick Reed and Patrick Cantlay had a 65, British Open winner Jordan Spieth and Ryan Palmer were at 66, U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka and Marc Turnesa shot a 67 and PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas and Bud Cauley shot a 70.
This is the second year two-player teams have competed at the Zurich Classic. The unusual tournament features better-ball play in the first and third rounds and alternate shot in the second and final rounds.
Baylor School graduates and PGA Tour rookies Stephan Jaeger and Keith Mitchell teamed for an opening 67 and were tied for 52nd. Former Baylor standout Harris English combined with longtime friend and former University of Georgia teammate Hudson Swafford for a 68 that had them tied for 63rd.
Tiger returning
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tiger Woods plans to end his post-Masters break next week at the Wells Fargo Championship.
It will be his first time playing at Quail Hollow Club since he missed the cut there in 2012. Woods won the tournament in 2007.
Woods announced Thursday he will be playing consecutive weeks at the Wells Fargo Championship and The Players Championship. It will be the third time since returning from back surgery that he plays backto-back weeks.
Woods tied for 32nd at the Masters, failing to break par until the final round.
Since returning from a fourth back surgery, the 14-time major champion has missed only one cut in the six tournaments he has played. Woods was runner-up by one shot at the Valspar Championship.
Ko on top again
DALY CITY, Calif. — Lydia Ko was back on top at Lake Merced Golf Club, although she had some company.
Ko shot a 4-under 68 on a chilly morning at the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship for a share of the first-round lead. Caroline Hedwall, In-Kyung Kim, Jessica Korda and Su Oh joined Ko atop the leaderboard in the LPGA Tour’s return to Lake Merced after a year away.
The Swinging Skirts LPGA winner at the course in 2014 and 2015, Ko eagled the par-5 fifth and had four birdies and a bogey. The 21-year-old from New Zealand has 14 LPGA Tour wins, with the most recent in July 2016.
Korda, playing alongside Kim and a group ahead of Ko, also eagled the fifth and had four birdies and a bogey.
Celine Herbin, Celine Herbin, Sei Young Kim and Lexi Thompson were tied for sixth at 69.
Lewis pregnant
DALY CITY, Calif. — Stacy Lewis is expecting her first child.
The 33-year-old LPGA Tour star and husband Gerrod Chadwell announced the pregnancy and Nov. 3 due date in an interview with Golfweek. She plans to play through the Marathon Classic in July and return for a full season next year.
“Golf has never gotten in the way of anything in my personal life,” she said. “Family is important to me. It’s more important than any golf tournament I’m going to play in. I thought about it a little bit from the golf side, but on the other hand, it’s like, ‘What did we want for our family?’”
Lewis opened with a 2-over 74 in the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship. The two-time major champion won the Portland Classic last year for her 12th LPGA Tour title.
Her husband is the women’s golf coach at the University of Houston.
Daxing has lead
BEIJING — Jin Daxing held a one-stroke lead at the China Open after opening with an 8-under 64.
Jin’s bogey-free round at Topwin Golf and Country Club included six birdies and an eagle on the par-5 eighth. The 25-yearold is playing in only his eighth European Tour event and has made the cut only once.
Matt Wallace (65) had an eagle-birdie finish to move into a tie for second with Nino Bertasio, who also produced a bogeyfree round. Alexander Bjork and Scott Vincent were another stroke back.