Young star shares lead at Memorial
DUBLIN, Ohio — Joaquin Niemann could figure out where Tiger Woods was on the golf course from the mass of people following him a few groups ahead, and he had a pretty good idea what he was doing from all the noise, at least before Woods put a putter in his hands.
“There was so many people,” Niemann said.
The few that stuck behind for the 19-year-old Chilean saw another good show.
In his fifth start as a professional, Niemann finished with two birdies over his last three holes for a 4-under-par 68 in the second round and a share of the Memorial Tournament lead with Kyle Stanley, who had a 66.
Woods made Muirfield Village Golf Club sound like a rock concert until storms arrived. He holed out with a sand wedge from 97 yards for an eagle on the par-5 11th hole, and then his tee shot on the par-3 12th struck the flag waving in the wind and settled six feet behind the hole.
But that was before he sat out a weather delay that lasted just less than 90 minutes. After it, he missed four putts shorter than seven feet.
“It could have been easily a nice little 62 or 63,” Woods said. “I turned it into a 67.”
He was six shots behind with nearly two dozen players in front of him.
Stanley, who won the Quicken Loans National last summer, was atop the leaderboard for much of the day and starting to pull away until a poor tee shot at No. 6 led to bogey. He finished with a par save from just off the ninth green to reach 11-under 133.
On the other side of the course was Niemann, the former No. 1 amateur in the world and reigning Latin American Amateur champion who wanted to play the Masters this spring before turning pro.
He already has two top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour and didn’t appear nervous about being in the final group this weekend.
“It feels really nice to be on top of the leaderboard,” he said.
Byeong Hun An had a 67 and was two shots behind, with five golfers tied for fourth at 8 under: Wesley Bryan (68), Jason Day (68), Bryson DeChambeau (67), J.B. Holmes (66) and Hideki Matsuyama (71)
Baylor School graduate Luke List (67) was tied for 14th at 6 under. Fellow former Red Raiders standout Keith Mitchell followed his opening 82 with a 77 and missed the cut.
Weather a factor
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Sarah Jane Smith extended her lead at the U.S. Women’s Open to four strokes after a second straight 5-under 67 at Shoal Creek Club.
The 33-year-old Australian got her round in before a 2-hour, 49-minute weather delay. The second round is scheduled to be completed today, with the low 60 plus ties making the cut.
Smith opened the day in a three-way tie atop the leaderboard with Ariya Jutanugarn and Jeongeun6 Lee. Smith was at 10-under 134 heading into the weekend after failing to make the cut in five of her previous six U.S. Women’s Open appearances.
Jutanugarn had an opening birdie to move to 6 under through eight holes and was tied for second with Su-Hyun Oh (68). Lee (75) was tied for 11th.
Brooke Henderson, a 20-yearold Canadian star with two top-10 finishes at the U.S. Women’s Open, pulled out of the tournament before Friday’s round. A statement from the United States Golf Association said she left to be with her family but did not elaborate.
Also Friday at the tournament, Brittany Lincicome said she has been asked to play in the PGA Tour’s Barbasol Championship, which starts July 19 at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s Grand National Lake course in Auburn.
“I love competing with the guys,” said the 32-year-old Lincicome, an eight-time winner on the LPGA Tour. “I feel like I step up my game when I play with them. I play a little harder, try a little harder when I play against them. I always thought it would be cool to try.”
Her exemption for the event was first reported by Golf Digest. Tom Murray, president and CEO of Perio, which owns the Barbasol and Pure Silk brands, reached out to her a couple of weeks ago, Lincicome said.
Other female pros who have played in a PGA Tour event include Annika Sorenstam, Suzy Whaley, Michelle Wie and Babe Zaharias.
Kaymer grabs lead
BRESCIA, Italy — Two-time major champion Martin Kaymer shot an 8-under 63 and held a one-stroke lead midway through the Italian Open.
Kaymer, who won the 2010 PGA Championship and the 2014 U.S. Open, was at 11-under 131 overall at Gardagolf Country Club. A day after Laurie Canter, Robert Rock and Richard Sterne each shot a 63 to share the lead, the 33-year-old German was the only golfer to match that score.
Five players were tied for second — Rafa Cabrera Bello (67), Graeme McDowell (66), Francesco Molinari (66), Thomas Pieters (67) and Danny Willett (67) — with five another stroke back in seventh. That group included Rock (70).
Smoltz a qualifier
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. — Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz is making his mark in a new sport.
The 51-year-old former Atlanta Braves star qualified for the U.S. Senior Open on Thursday, emerging from a three-man playoff to take the final spot.
Three places were up for grabs in the 18-hole qualifier at Planterra Ridge Golf Club, about 30 miles south of Atlanta. Jack Larkin and Sonny Skinner got through in regulation by shooting 4-under 68s, with Smoltz and two others one stroke back.
Brian Tennyson was eliminated on the first playoff hole with a bogey. On the third extra hole, Smoltz finished off Brian Ferris despite making double bogey.
Smoltz, the only pitcher in MLB history with 200 wins and 150 saves, was an avid golfer in his spare time during his baseball days, along with teammates Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux. All three became first-ballot Hall of Famers.
The 2018 U.S. Senior Open starts June 28 at The Broadmoor-East Course in Colorado Springs.