Lahiri takes lead in Malaysia
India’s Anirban Lahiri shot a seven-under 65 on Saturday to take a four-stroke lead in the CIMB Classic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Coming off a playoff loss last week in the Asian Tour’s Macau Open, Lahiri had a 19-under 197 total after opening with consecutive 66s at TPC Kuala Lumpur. He had nine birdies and double bogey Saturday in the tournament sanctioned by the PGA Tour and the Asian Tour.
Defending champion Justin Thomas had a 71 to drop into a tie for second with Scotland’s Russell Knox (68). Thomas started the back nine bogeydouble bogey-bogey, parred the 13th and birdied the final five. Derek Fathauer (68), James Hahn (69) and Hideki Matsuyama (69) were 14 under.
Jessica Korda caught Minjee Lee in the Blue Bay LPGA. Ariya Jutanugarn made up even more ground to move into contention for her sixth victory of the season in Hainan, China. Korda shot a sixunder 66 at Jian Lake to make up seven strokes on Lee for a share of the lead, and Jutanugarn had a 65 to cut her deficit from 10 to two shots and get in the final group Sunday.
Acceptance won the $100,000 California Flag Handicap by a head at Santa Anita. Ridden by Stewart Elliott, Acceptance ran 61⁄2 furlongs on the hillside turf course in 1:11.51 and paid $12.20, $6 and $4. Richard’s Boy returned $3.20 and $2.60, while Somethings Unusual was another half-length back in third and paid $5 to show.
Lara Gut got the defense of her overall World Cup title off to a shining start on Saturday. The first women’s champion from Switzerland in more than two decades, Gut dominated the season-opening giant slalom at Soelden, Austria, on a sun-soaked Rettenbach glacier.
On an icy slope under crisp blue skies, Gut held on to her first-run lead to clinch a comfortable win, leading Mikaela Shiffrin by 1.44 seconds for her 19th career victory.
World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi was hired to take over the China’s national football team in the latest sign of the nation’s commitment to becoming a serious force in world soccer.
The 68-year-old Lippi led Italy to the 2006 World Cup title, won five Italian league titles as manager of Juventus, and won three Chinese league titles while managing Guangzhou Evergrande before announcing his retirement in 2014.