RAHM OPENS WITH 10-UNDER-PAR 62
Jon Rahm shot a 10-under-par 62 on Thursday in perfect conditions at La Quinta Country Club and took the first-round lead in the CareerBuilder Challenge.
The top-ranked player in the field at No. 3 in the world, Rahm eagled the par-5 fifth — hitting a 5-iron from 215 yards to 5 feet — and played the first six holes in 6-under. The 23year-old Spaniard had the lowest score of his PGA Tour career, topping a 64 two years ago at Congressional in his first round as a pro.
At 10-under, the former Arizona State player bested his four-day total of 9-under last year.
Austin Cook, Jason Kokrak and Andrew Landry were a stroke back. Cook played PGA West’s Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course, and Kokrak and Landry opened at La Quinta. Nick Watney and Grayson Murray each shot a 65 to top the players at PGA West’s Stadium Course. Phil Mickelson shot a 70 at La Quinta.
Heat dominates at Australian Open.
AUSTRALIA» Ona MELBOURNE, day when shade was a valuable commodity in the searing heat at Melbourne Park, Roger Federer played it cool at the Australian Open.
Six-time champion Novak Djokovic, however, complained about the brutal conditions during his second-round win over Gael Monfils, when the temperature peaked at 104 degrees.
Federer, the defending champion, finished off a 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (4) win over Jan-Lennard Struff.
Stan Wawrinka, the 2014 Australian Open champion, No. 7 David Goffin and No. 13 Sam Querrey didn’t make it through the second round. Nor did Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza, one of the five seeded women’s players who were eliminated on Day 4.
That left only Maria Sharapova and Angelique Kerber — who will meet in the next round — and French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko as Grand Slam winners in the women’s draw.
Ambrose returns to CU staff.
BOULDER» Ashley Ambrose has been added to the Colorado football staff as the Buffaloes’ cornerbacks coach, joining returning secondary coach ShaDon Brown in bolstering a unit often picked apart in 2017.
CU gave Ambrose his first full-time job as an FBS assistant, defensive backs in 2010, before he made college coaching stops at California (2011-12), Idaho (2014), Texas State (2015) and Boise State (2016-18).
Pirates re-sign closer.
Felipe Rivero, a hard-throwing left-hander, finalized a four-year, $22 million contract with the Pirates, a deal that includes two club options and could be worth $41 million over six seasons. The 26year-old, acquired in a trade deadline deal with Washington in 2016, took over as Pittsburgh’s closer last May and went 5-3 with a 1.67 ERA while converting 21-of-23 save chances.
• Outfielder Howie Kendrick and the Nationals finalized a two-year, $7 million contract.
• Free-agent first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and the New York Mets finalized a one-year contract.
• The Minnesota Twins hired former pitcher Jim Kaat as a special assistant to the franchise.
• Arizona outfielder Yasmany Tomas has been accused by police of reckless driving and criminal speeding after his car was clocked at 105 mph on a Phoenix-area freeway.
Footnotes.
The Washington Spirit selected midfielder Andi Sullivan of Stanford with the first pick in the National Women’s Soccer League draft. The University of Colorado’s Becca Rasmussen was the 20th overall pick — a second-round selection of the North Carolina Courage. Rasmussen is a midfielder from Golden who transferred from Georgia for her senior season. … Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma was named winner of the Manning Award, given to the nation’s top college quarterback and the only award to consider postseason performances in voting by a national media panel as well as Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning. — Denver Post staff and wire services