Wie takes in views, the lead at British
Finishing fast after a slow start, Michelle Wie birdied her last three holes Thursday for an 8-under-par 64 for a one-shot lead in the Women’s British Open.
Wie bogeyed the par-5 second hole at Kingsbarns Links, and that was the last of her mistakes. The 27-year-old shot 30 on the back nine and wound up one shot ahead of I.K. Kim of South Korea.
Lindy Duncan was another shot behind at 66, with Lexi Thompson among those at 67.
Wie, showing no sign of the neck spasms that forced her to withdraw from last month’s U.S. Women’s Open, posted nine birdies during a morning round played in almost perfect weather on the eastern coast of Scotland.
“It’s so gorgeous here,” said Wie, a Stanford alum who has not won since the U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst in 2014. “When the weather is nice, it almost felt like I was playing back home in Hawaii with the views and everything. I feel like I got extremely lucky with the conditions out there.”
Only later did torrential downpours and the threat of lightning twice disrupt play for a total of 74 minutes.
Laura Davies was one who was hurt by the interruptions. Six-under par through 14 holes, the 53-year-old from England finished with a 68, as did Charley Hull, Britain’s top player.
So Yeon Ryu, the No. 1 player in the world, opened with a 71.
Bridgestone Invitational:
Thomas Pieters rolled in a 30foot birdie putt on his final hole for a 5-under 65 that gave him a one-shot lead at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.
Russell Knox had a 66 with a bogey on his final hole.
Rory McIlroy got by just fine with his best friend as his caddie, opening with a 67, his lowest opening round in the U.S. since February 2016.
McIlroy split with J.P. Fitzgerald, his caddie of nine years, after the British Open. McIlroy decided to use Harry Diamond, who played amateur golf for Ireland and was the best man at McIlroy’s wedding, for the Bridgestone Invitational and the PGA Championship next week.
Also at 67 was Jordan Spieth, feeling so confident about his game that on one shot, he asked his caddie how he should escape trouble from the trees. Before Michael Greller could answer, Spieth told him to stand aside and watch. He hit through a tiny gap onto the green.
Spieth has won two straight events going into this World Golf Championship with an eye toward the PGA Championship and his shot at becoming the youngest player to complete the Grand Slam.
Barracuda Championship:
John Huh made his eighth birdie on his final hole to finish with 15 points and take the firstround lead.
Huh has a one-point lead over Stuart Appleby and Miguel Angel Carballo under the modified Stableford format at Montreaux Golf and Country Club in Reno.
Appleby also had eight birdies, against two bogeys. Carballo had two eagles, one in which he holed out from 160 yards.
This is the only PGA Tour event that uses the scoring format in which an eagle is worth five points and birdies are worth two points. Players lose one point for a bogey and three points for a double bogey or worse. Six players were at 13 points.