Goydos, Petrovic share Champions lead
Kuchar tied for lead in Mexico
Matt Kuchar decided at the last minute to play the Mayakoba Golf Classic and made it look like a smart move Thursday. Kuchar missed only two fairways at El Camaleon Golf Club in Mexico, key to good scoring, and kept bogeys off his card for a 7-under 64 that gave him a share of the lead with Dominic Bozzelli and PGA Tour rookie Kramer Hickok. Kuchar has gone more than four years since his last PGA Tour victory. His 64 was his lowest opening round on tour since a 64 in the 2017 Phoenix Open. "It's an amazing resort, Mayakoba. So to be able to bring the family to enjoy some vacation time, it's a bit of a working vacation," Kuchar said. "I had a good time at the office, as well." Most players did, with more than half of the 132man field in the 60s. Jordan Spieth was not among them. Playing his second straight week in the fall — and his last tournament before his wedding — Spieth traded birdies and bogeys and had to settle for an even-par 71, leaving him in need to a good round Friday just to stick around for the weekend.
One of his former roommates had no such issues.
Hickok also played college golf at Texas and lived with Spieth in Dallas until a few months ago, when all the roommates had to find other arrangements as Spieth prepares for his marriage to Annie Verret.
Spieth had his first PGA Tour victory seven months after leaving college early. Hickok toiled on the Mackenzie Tour in Canada, then the Web.com Tour before finally making it to the big leagues. But he says he learns plenty by playing with Spieth at home.
Jutanugarn leads LPGA by four shots
Top-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn shot a 4-under 68 to take a four-stroke lead at the halfway point of the Blue Bay LPGA tournament in China. Jutanugarn had birdies on the final two holes — and four of the closing seven — on Thursday to take command over the rest of the field at 7-under 137. Jennifer Song, Moriya Jutanugarn, and Gaby Lopez shot 71s and were in a tie for second at 3-under. The leader is likely to play in a group today with her older sister. "I haven't played with her for so long," she explained. "We have so much fun. At the same time we didn't talk much when we played ... especially when there are three players in the group."
Garcia leads Nedbank Challenge
Sergio Garcia flew into a four-shot lead at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa after an 8-under 64 secured the biggest first-round advantage on the European Tour for a year. Garcia, twice a Sun City winner before the Nedbank became part of the tour, made eight birdies in a brilliant start to the penultimate tournament of the season to move four strokes clear of Charl Schwartzel, Mike Lorenzo-Vera and Mikko Korhonen at the Gary Player Country Club.
The lead was the biggest first-round advantage since Arjun Atwal led by four at the Mauritius Open last November.
Rory McIlroy, one of five players with a chance of being crowned European No. 1 at the end of the season, shot a level-par 72 after a double-bogey six on his second-to-last hole spoiled his round. Paul Goydos and Tim Petrovic shot 8-under 63 on Thursday to share the lead in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, leaving points leader Bernhard Langer seven strokes back in the PGA Tour Champions' season finale.
In sunny, 80-degree conditions at Phoenix Country Club, Langer parred the final nine holes for a 70. The 61-year-old German star opened with a chip-in eagle on the par-5 first, but had two front-nine bogeys.