San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Five tied for lead at Palm Harbor
PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Stewart Cink made a great escape from the pine straw for an unlikely birdie and had a 4-under 67 that gave him a fiveway share of the lead Friday in the Valspar Championship and a chance to entertain thoughts of winning for the second straight tournament.
There's just one difference for Cink. The golf course is a lot longer.
And the guys he is trying to beat are a lot younger.
The 50-year-old Cink, who blew a chance to win on the PGA Tour Champions two weeks ago with a back-nine meltdown, looked steady on a day of 30 mph gusts in the morning, some wind in the afternoon but not close to the nasty weather expected at Innisbrook.
He was tied at 6-under 136 with Kevin Streelman (72), tour rookie Chandler Phillips (68), Brendon Todd (69) and Mackenzie Hughes (68).
“There's a reason that so many players rave about this course,” Cink said. “It requires everything, and so far this week I've done everything fairly well.”
Nam ahead at Palos Verdes
Malia Nam took a one-stroke lead into the weekend in just her second career LPGA Tour start, shooting a 2-under 69 on Friday in the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship at Palos Verdes
Golf Club in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.
One of seven former University of Southern California players in the field at the scenic course overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the 24-year-old Nam — from Hawaii — played more than 100 rounds on the layout during her time with Trojans.
Playing in the final group of the day to tee off on No. 10, Nam pulled even with defending champion Ruoning Yin and Madelene Sagstrom with a birdie on the par-3 sixth and took the lead with a birdie on the par-5 seventh. She finished at 8-under 134.
Rose Zhang (68), Leona Maguire (65) and former UCLA player Alison Lee (70) were 6 under. The 20-year-old Zhang won the won the Mizuho Americas Open last year in her first professional start. Lee had a birdiebirdie-eagle run on Nos. 14-16 for a share of the lead, then dropped back with a bogey on 17.
Micheluzzi shoots 66 at Singapore
David Micheluzzi kept his cool to take a oneshot lead heading into the final round of the Singapore Classic.
The Australian finished his 6-under 66 with back-to-back birdies in the third round of the European tour event on Saturday.
He's 13-under par for the tournament.
Overnight co-leader Andy Sullivan (69) and fellow Englishman Sam Bairstow (68) both trail by one stroke at Laguna National Golf Resort
Club.
The 27-year-old Micheluzzi, ranked No. 347, is looking for his first win on the European tour. He had one bogey — on the second hole — and acknowledged being “a little bit flustered” by the heat.
“Today was very hot, you could see me with a towel over my head for basically for the whole day,” Micheluzzi said.