Rahm ends with birdie, gets 2-shot lead in Mexico Open
PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO >> Jon Rahm birdied the last two par 5s and got some help from a couple of poor chips by Cameron Champ to take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Mexico Open.
Rahm, whose last victory was the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines last summer, pumped his fist Saturday when he holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th for a 3-under 68.
An hour or so before that key birdie on the 18th, Rahm was two shots behind and trying to keep up with Champ, one of the game's longest hitters whose penetrating ball flight has been ideal for breezy conditions at Vidanta Vallarta,
Champ went over the back of the green on the 15th and stubbed a chip that didn't reach the green, leading to bogey. He went just over the back on the next hole, and this time clipped it too hard and watched it roll some 10 feet by the hole, leading to another bogey.
From just right of the 18th in two, Champ's chip came up some 15 feet short and he had to settle for par and a 67.
Kurt Kitayama was tied with Champ after a 66 that also featured some late struggles. He was tied for the lead when he blocked his tee shot on the par-3 17th so far to the right that it ran across a cart path onto a dirt lie under the trees. He did well to make bogey.
Then, the former UNLV player with two European tour wins had 109 yards to the par-5 18th and came up 25 feet short, having to settle for a par.
Rahm was at 13-under 200, two clear of Champ and Kitayama. Another shot behind were Nate Lashley (64), Davis Riley (67) and Patrick Rodgers (66). STRICKER IN TIE FOR LEAD >> Steve Stricker wanted to stay in bed and some of the players at the Insperity Invitational probably wish he did. Stricker took advantage of calm conditions with a 7-under 65 for a three-way share of the lead in his return to the PGA Tour Champions.
Stricker, who lost 25 pounds during a health scare that hospitalized him late last year, is competing for the first time in six months and already has a chance to win.
NBA
SUNS FINED >> The NBA fined the Phoenix Suns fined $25,000 for violating injury reporting rules by failing to disclose guard Devin Booker's participation status in an accurate and timely manner before Game 6 of the first-round playoff series against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Booker returned from a strained right hamstring to help the Suns beat the Pelicans 115-109 on Thursday night in New Orleans in the series-ending game. BRYANT JERSEY TO BE AUCTIONED >> A jersey worn by Kobe Bryant in his rookie season, including two playoff games, will be sold at auction.
The jersey from the 199697 season could fetch between
$3 million and $5 million in an online auction that begins May 18, David Kohler of SCP Auctions said.
Tennis
HALEP WINS IN MADRID >> Simona Halep played some of her best tennis at the Madrid Open again in defeating home crowd favorite Paula Badosa in straight sets to reach the last 16 for the seventh time in 11 appearances.
The two-time Madrid Open champion had 21 winners as she defeated No. 2-ranked Badosa 6-3, 6-1 on the Caja Mágica center court.
Women's basketball
HALL OF FAME COACH RETIRES >> C. Vivian Stringer has been a trailblazer, serving as a role model to many Black coaches and players throughout her 50-year career.
The Hall of Fame coach announced her retirement.
She finished with 1,055 wins — fourth all-time among Division I women's
basketball coaches behind Tara VanDerveer, Geno Auriemma and Pat Summitt.
Motor sports
FORCE TOPS QUALIFYING >>
John Force topped Funny Car qualifying Saturday with his zMAX Dragway-record run Friday night in the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals.
The 72-year-old Force, a 16-time Funny Car season champion, had a 3.850-second pass at 334.24 mph in a Chevrolet Camaro, eclipsing the track record of 3.851 set by daughter Courtney Force five years ago.
BERRY WINS XFINITY RACE >>
Josh Berry led a dominant outing for JR Motorsports at Dover Motor Speedway and raced to his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory of the season.
Berry had tears in his eyes and hoisted his daughter in the air after he took the checkered flag in the No. 8 Chevrolet for his third career Xfinity win in 39 starts. Berry finished second in last year's Dover race.