Clark shoots 10-under 61 to lead Phoenix Open
Wyndham Clark beat darkness — and everyone else Thursday at TPC Scottsdale.
Playing in the second-to-last group off the 10th tee, Clark shot a career-best 10-under 61 to take the first- round lead in the Waste M a n a g eme n t Phoenix Open.
He had eight birdies in a 10-hole stretch from No. 12 to No. 3, added two more on Nos. 7 and 8 and putted out for par on No. 9 just after sunset.
“I hit a lot of fairways, and I just gave myself a lot of looks and the putter was hot,” Clark said.
Billy Horschel was second, holing nearly 200 feet of putts in an afternoon 63.
“I looked on the leader board and saw I was at 8 under and I saw Billy Horschel was, too,” Clark said. “I said, ‘Man, he’s going to rain on my parade.’ So, kind of to myself I said, ‘All right, let’s go get past him.’ ”
Horschel had an eagle and six birdies.
J.B. Holmes was another stroke back, highlighted by a hole-inone. He won the event in 2006 and 2008 for his first PGA Tour titles.
“I like playing in the desert. I just enjoy being here,” Holmes said. “The greens are always usually in great shape. They’re in great shape this week — they’re quick, they’re firm.”
The long hitter from Kentucky played the first five holes in even par, following a double bogey on the second, with a birdie on the third, the ace on the fourth and a bogey on the fifth. He used a 7-iron on the 175-yard fourth.
“I didn’t feel like everything was going my way, so I wasn’t thinking it was actually going to go in,” Holmes said. “But I hit it up there. I knew it was a good shot, and I thought I’m going to have a short putt for birdie and then it disappeared.”
Holmes birdied the final three holes and seven of the last 10, hitting to 4 feet on 16 and 17 and closing with a 25-footer. He fought right elbow pain, seeking treatment from his trainer at the turn.
Tom Hoge, Harris English, Bud Cauley and Byeong Hun An shot 65, and Nate Lashley, K. J. Choi, Sungjae Im, Adam Long and Hudson Swafford were at 66.
AMES TAKES PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
LEAD IN MOROCCO » Stephen Ames shot a 9-under 63 to take a fourstroke lead over a Hall of Fame quartet in the Morocco Champions, the first PGA Tour Champions event in Africa.
Making his season debut, Ames
matched the Samanah Golf Club in Marrakech, Morocco, record set by Daniel Brooks in the 2009 Samanah Masters.
Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie, Jose Maria Olazabal and Retief Goosen shot 67. MCDOWELL SHARES LEAD AT SAUDI
INTERNATIONAL » Graeme McDowell birdied his final three holes in difficult conditions to grab a share of the lead alongside Gavin Green after the opening round of the Saudi International in King Abdullah Economic City.
Green finished at 6- underpar 64 and for a long time it looked like his score would not be matched, with the wind whipping up in the afternoon at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club.
McDowell recovered from a double bogey on the 11th with four birdies on the back nine. LPGA CANCELS MARCH EVENT IN CHINA » The LPGA says it has canceled the Blue Bay LPGA event scheduled for the first week of March on Hainan Island in China, citing health concerns and travel restrictions due to the viral outbreak.
In a statement Thursday, the LPGA said because of the coronavirus in China, the event scheduled March 5-8 will not be held this year.
Baseball
PENCE ON GIANTS’ RADAR » On
Wednesday, the Giants signed fan favorite Pablo Sandoval to a minor league contract. On Thursday, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported that the Giants are among the teams that have an interest in Hunter Pence.
Pence’s career appeared over after the 2018 season in which he set career lows in home runs (4) and batting average (.226). But he had a blistering start for the Texas Rangers last season and made his fourth All- Star team. However, a back issue hampered him in the second half, and he hit just three home runs after the break. The 36-year- old is a free agent. DODGERS, RED SOX DISCUSSING BETTS TRADE » The Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox could be nearing a trade that would send All- Star outfielder Mookie Betts to the National League club, according to published reports.
The report also indicated that left-handed pitcher David Price could be part of a trade package.
Betts, 27, will become a free agent after the 2020 season, and the Red Sox have been unable to engage him in contract negotiations.
A report Tuesday on Boston’s WEEI radio said that in 2018, the Red Sox offered Betts a 10-year, $ 300 million contract extension. Betts reportedly asked for 12 years and $420 million. Since then, however, the Red Sox have indicated their interest in shedding payroll.
Motorsports
JOHN ANDRETTI DIES FROM CANCER AT 56 » John Andretti, a member of the legendary Andretti racing family, died Thursday after a nearly three-year battle with cancer. He was 56.
The son of Aldo Andretti and the nephew of Mario Andretti, he had become an advocate for cancer screening since he was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer in April 2017.
Andretti raced on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit for 17 seasons from 1993 to 2010, winning two of his 393 starts. He was a top-10 finisher 37 times.
He also drove in the Indianapolis 500 a dozen times (1988-94, 2007-11). His best finish came in 1991 when he finished fifth.
Horse racing
MAINTENANCE AT TRACK FORCES GOLDEN GATE FIELDS TO CLOSE FOR WEEK » There won’t be any live or simulcast horse racing at Golden Gate Fields this weekend because of a plumbing issue, track officials announced.
The Albany track is expected to be up and running again for the start of scheduled racing next week, Thursday, Feb. 6.