Walker out front at Bridgestone
The sun finally came out, and Jimmy Walker saw a glimpse of what he hopes are brighter days ahead.
In a year marked by coping with Lyme disease and bouts of fatigue, Walker endured rain delays of nearly five hours Friday and posted a 5-under 65 for a two-shot lead going into the weekend at the Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio.
The timing couldn’t be better for Walker, who goes to Quail Hollow next week to defend his title in the PGA Championship.
“It hadn’t been a lot of fun this year,” Walker said. “But it’s nice to see some putts go in and make some solid swings and keep rounds going, make par putts, just the stuff I haven’t been doing.”
He was at 7-under 133, two shots ahead of Thomas Pieters.
Walker didn’t have a lot going last year until he finished well in the Canadian Open, and then went wireto-wire at Baltusrol the next week to win the PGA Championship. So maybe there’s another spark he can find at Firestone Country Club.
KIM WITHSTANDS SCOTTISH WEATHER STORM »
I.K. Kim emerged from the cold and wet with a 4-under 68 for a two-shot lead in the Women’s British Open going into the weekend.
A two-time winner on the LPGA Tour over the last two months, Kim dropped only one shot in some of the worst conditions at Kingsbarns Links in St. Andrews, Scotland and reached the halfway point at 11-under 133. She was two shots clear of Lexi Thompson and Georgia Hall.
Kim displayed a remarkable fortitude in weather that veered erratically toward the end of the day between sunshine and torrential downpours. She atoned for her lone bogey with three birdies and an eagle on the 538-yard 11th hole.
Thompson, the No. 2 player in the world, made a big move. Two-over par and birdie-free after nineholes, the big-hitting Floridian played the homeward nine in 30 with six birdies five in succession.
First-round leader Michelle Wie did not fare so well. The 27-year old Stanford grad made only one birdie in a 76, leaving her seven shots off the pace and in a tie for 21st. Wie has not won since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open.
PERRY AMONG LEADERS AT CHAMPIONS TOUR EVENT»
Two-time winner Kenny Perry shot a 7-under 65 to hold a share of the lead after the first round of 3M Championship just outside of Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Perry, who won in Minnesota in 2014 and ’15, opened his round with six consecutive birdies. He finished with another one to join Mike Goodes atop the leaderboard at TPC Twin Cities.
Scott Verplank, Marco Dawson, Gene Sauers and Jay Haas finished at 6-under. Steve Flesch, Colin Montgomerie and Brandt Jobe were among the golfers to card 67s.
WERENSKI SWIMMING ATOP BARRACUDA LEADERBOARD»
Richy Werenski notched 11 points to remain in front at the PGA Tour’s Barracuda Championship in Reno, Nevada.
The event uses the modified Stableford format for scoring.
Stuart Appleby is second with 24 points, followed by a foursome at 23.