Herman holds slim advantage
NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. — Jim Herman shot his second straight 7-under-par 65 to take the second-round lead Friday in the PGA Tour’s Barbasol Championship.
President Donald Trump’s regular golf partner while working as an assistant professional at Trump National Bedminster in New Jersey, the 41-year-old Herman had a one-stroke lead over Bill Haas at rain-softened Keene Trace Golf Club in the Lexington area — less than 100 miles south of his hometown of Cincinnati.
Encouraged by Trump to pursue a playing career, Herman won the 2016 Shell Houston Open for his lone tour title.
Haas followed his opening 65 with a 66, making a 45-foot eagle putt on the par-5 eighth, his 17th hole.
Tied for third at 12 under were Kramer Hickok, Kelly Kraft, David Toms and D.J. Trahan. Hickok, Kraft and Trahan each shot a 67, while the 52-year-old Toms posted a 64 highlighted by a 13-foot eagle putt on the par-5 fifth, his 14th hole.
There was also a four-way tie for seventh, with Austin Cook (66), Jose de Jesus Rodriguez (65), Sebastian Munoz (68) and Wes Roach (69) at 11 under.
Tom Lovelady played the first six holes on the back nine in 7 under, capped by a 10-foot eagle putt on the par-5 15th. He bogeyed the par-3 16th and parred the last two for a 65 to top the seven-man group at 10 under.
J.T. Poston, the first-round leader after a 62, had a 73 to drop into a tie for 18th at 9 under. Nick Taylor, a stroke behind Poston after an opening 63, also was 9 under after a 72.
Baylor School graduates Harris English (66) and Stephan Jaeger (70) were among those tied for 44th at 6 under.
The cut was at 4 under, and John Daly missed it by three shots after shooting 71-72. Fighting osteoarthritis in his right knee, the 53-yearold two-time major champion was playing his first PGA Tour event since he was approved for a cart last fall.
Denied a cart by the R&A for the British Open, he has been approved for one at PGA Tour events until the end of the year.
LPGA: Lead is large
MIDLAND, Mich. — Cydney Clanton and Jasmine Suwannapura put together a 7-under 63 in alternate-shot play to open a five-stroke lead entering the final round of the Great Lakes Bay Invitational, the LPGA Tour’s first-year team event.
Clanton, a former Auburn University standout, and Thailand’s Suwannapura birdied five of the last seven holes on the front nine and played the last five holes in 2 under, making three birdies and a bogey. They were at 16-under 194 overall at Midland Country Club, where a round of better ball is set to close the tournament today.
“Each hole’s an opportunity,” Clanton said. “How many opportunities can we give ourselves? One of those things where as many fairways and greens as you can hit, and if the putts go in, great.”
Suwannapura won the Marathon Classic last year for her lone LPGA Tour title. Her American teammate is winless on the tour. They had an alternate-shot 67 on Wednesday and teamed for a better-ball 64 on Thursday.
Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn, sisters from Thailand, had a 64 to move into a tie for second at 11 under with the teams of Simin Feng-Ruixin Liu (67), Na Yeon Choi-Jenny Shin (67) and Paula Creamer-Morgan Pressel (69).