3 share lead after 2 rounds at St Jude
MEMPHIS, TENN. >> Chez Reavie shot a 5-under 65 on Friday to move to 9-under 131 and share the lead with Charl Schwartzel and Sebastian Munoz after two rounds at the St. Jude Classic.
Schwartzel had a 66 while Munoz finished the round with a 67. Stewart Cink — who shared the first-round lead along with Matt Every, Scott Brown and Munoz — was one stroke back after his 68 at the PGA Tour’s final event before the U.S. Open.
Ben Crane, who won this tournament in 2014, was two strokes off the lead after shooting a 65 at the par70 TPC Southwind course.
Reavie, who started two strokes behind the co-leaders, had three birdies on the front nine and an eagle on the par-5 No. 16, landing his second shot fewer than 15 feet from the flagstick and sinking the putt. The 35-year-old from Arizona State earned his only win on tour at the RBC Canadian Open in 2008.
“There’s no way that I can change my mindset and go out there and try and make pars — I won’t win the golf tournament if I do that,” Reavie said. “I need to just keep doing the same thing I’m doing — attack the holes that suit my eye and make as many birdies as I can.”
Schwartzel, who shot a 65 in the first round, began his round one stroke behind the four first-day leaders along with Matt Jones.
He started on the back nine and birdied four of his first eight holes, going backto-back on Nos. 16 and 17. On the par-5 16th, he sent his second shot into a greenside bunker but recovered by chipping out of the sand to inside of 5 feet of the flagstick.
The 32-year-old South African then moved into sole possession of the lead with a birdie on the par-4 second — only to give it back with a bogey on the par-3 eighth.
Schwartzel, who finished third at The Masters, is seeking his third career victory on tour — he’s won 12 times internationally — and first since he won the 2016 Valspar Championship near Tampa, Florida.
Sharp pulls tie for lead into
CAMBRIDGE, ONTARIO » Alena Sharp shot her second straight 66 Friday to move into a share of the lead at 12-under 132 after the second round of the Manulife LPGA Classic.
Sharp, from nearby Hamilton, was tied with American Lexi Thompson (65) and South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim (68). Perrine Delacour (62) of France, American Lindy Duncan (65) amd South Korea’s In Gee Chun (66) were one shot back.
Shanshan Feng of China had a 69 to move to 10 under, in a tie with Britain’s Bronte Law (65) and Australia’s Minjee Lee (66).
Langer surges to tie
DES MOINES, IOWA » Bernhard Langer, Kevin Sutherland and Glen Day each shot 6-under 66 to share the opening-round lead at the PGA Tour Champions event in Iowa on Friday.
Langer won the last two senior circuit events, both majors, and is seeking to become the first player on the 50-and-over tour with wins in three straight starts since Fred Couples in 2010.
Six players shot 5-under 67s at the Wakonda Club, including Mark Calcavecchia and Scott McCarron.