Dufner takes lead with a pair of eagles
Jason Dufner took more than a solid showing away from the Masters last week. He took inspiration from winner Sergio Garcia.
Dufner finished 33rd in the year’s first major, things getting away from late in the final round a week ago. But he took something from Garcia managing his expectations and letting his game show through. And Dufner believes that’s why he had got a one-shot lead heading to the final round of the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Dufner had two eagles on the way to a six-under 65 to move in front of Graham DeLaet (69).
Dufner, at 13 under, said he entered Harbour Town Golf Links with low expectations, deciding that he gone through too many tournaments overthinking how he was supposed to play or whose expectations he was supposed to live up to.
“So I think I maybe learned a little bit from the champion last week,” Dufner said, “where he kind of lowered his expectations, and got out of his way, so to speak, and let his talent and his game plan take it from there.”
Kevin Kisner and Webb Simpson were at 11 under. Kisner shot a 66, and Simpson had a 68.
Cristie Kerr won the LPGA Lotte Championship for her 19th tour title, closing with a six-under 66 for a threestroke victory at Kapolei, Hawaii. Kerr broke the tournament record at 20under 268, a day after shooting 62 at Ko Olina to match the event mark. She earned $300,000 to top $18 million in her career.
The American overcame sponsor invite Su-Yeon Jang, the South Korean player who led after the second and third rounds. Jang had a 70 to drop into a tie for second with top-ranked Lydia Ko (64) and In Gee Chun (67).
Stephen Ames shot a four-under 68 to take a one-stroke lead over five players into the final round of the PGA Tour Champions’ Mitsubishi Electric Classic at Duluth, Ga. Ames had five birdies and a bogey at TPC Sugarloaf to reach nine-under 135. The 52-yearold naturalized Canadian is winless on the senior tour after winning four times on the PGA Tour.
First-round leader Bob Tway followed his opening 65 with a 71 to drop into a tie for second with Kenny Perry (64), Billy Andrade (66), Brandt Jobe (68) and Kevin Sutherland (69). USC, won his lone ATP Tour title last year on grass at Nottingham in England. In Sunday’s final he will face eighth-seeded Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil, a 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 winner over American Ernesto Escobedo.
Classic Empire, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, may have established himself as the Kentucky Derby favorite by winning the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs. The star-crossed horse has had a bad 3-year-old campaign by performing poorly in his only previous start and refusing to train a couple times. But he overcame a troubled trip to win in convincing fashion. Malagacy, the favorite and undefeated in three starts, finished fifth.
In the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland in Kentucky, Senior Investment just nipped West Coast, from the Bob Baffert barn, to win this lesser prep.
At Santa Anita, Lord Simba, also from the Baffert barn and ridden by Martin Garcia, won the six-furlong Los Angeles Handicap by 21⁄4 lengths. — John Cherwa
Demetrious Johnson picked apart Wilson Reis before catching him in an armbar and forcing him to submit in Kansas City, Mo., retaining his UFC flyweight title for the 10th time to match longtime middleweight king Anderson Silva’s record for consecutive defenses. In the co-main event, Rose Namajunas delivered a crushing kick to Michelle Waterson before leaping onto her back and cinching a tight rear-naked choke that forced a second-round tap-out in a battle of strawweight contenders.
Oklahaoma won its second straight women’s gymnastics championship at the NCAA finals in St. Louis. UCLA finished fourth, behind runner-up Louisiana State and Florida.
Former Washington Huskies basketball coach Lorenzo Romar has joined the staff of the Arizona Wildcats.
NBA star Isaiah Thomas’ sister has died in a one-car accident early Saturday. Police said that 22-year-old Chyna J. Thomas died at the scene on Interstate 5 in Federal Way, Wash., after the accident about 5 a.m. Isaiah Thomas is a high-scoring guard for the Boston Celtics. From Tacoma, he played at Curtis High and the University of Washington. His status was uncertain for the Celtics’ playoff opener Sunday in Boston against the Chicago Bulls.
Condolences poured in for retired NFL player Todd Heap and his family Saturday, a day after police say the former Pro Bowl tight end accidentally ran over his 3-year-old daughter with a truck, killing her. Heap was moving the truck at his home in Mesa, Ariz., on Friday when he struck the girl, police said.