Spieth, Fowler, Vegas catch Johnson
Two swings cost Dustin Johnson the lead, and it wasn’t long before Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler caught up to him in The Northern Trust on Friday.
Spieth ran off five straight birdies on the back nine at Glen Oaks Club in Old Westbury, New York, for a 5-under 65, which allowed him to join a four-way tie for the lead at 6-under 134 with Johnson, Fowler and Jhonattan Vegas going into the weekend of the first FedEx Cup playoff event.
Johnson hit consecutive tee shots that wound up on the wrong hole and led to back-to-back bogeys in his round of 69. Fowler made up a fiveshot deficit in the final six holes with three birdies for a 66. Spieth played in the afternoon and surged into a share of the lead by matching the longest birdie streak of his PGA Tour career. His six birdies on the back nine included putts of 25 feet and 40 feet. Vegas played bogey-free for a 65.
CHUN SURGES AHEAD >> In Gee Chun took the lead in the LPGA’s Canadian Pacific Open with her second straight 4-under 67 for a two-stroke lead over Americans Mo Martin, Brittany Lincicome and Marina Alex at Ottawa Hunt Golf Club.
Tennis
SHARAPOVA DRAWS NO. 2 HALEP >>
Maria Sharapova’s first Grand Slam match in more than a year will come against No. 2-seeded Simona Halep at the U.S. Open. Friday’s draw also put Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on the same side of the men’s bracket, meaning they could meet only in the semifinals.
Soccer
BARCELONA BUYS DEMBELE >>
Barcelona is shoring up its attack following Neymar’s departure by buying Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund in a deal that could reach $173 million, second only to the Brazilian star’s world-record transfer. RSL FORWARD SUSPENDED >> Real Salt Lake forward Ricardo Velazco has been arrested on accusations he had unlawful sexual activity with a minor and was suspended by Major League Soccer. Authorities say Velazco had sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl in May. Utah law states no female under the age of 16 can legally consent to sex.
Motor sports MORE POWER >>
Will Power took the 50th pole of his career, leading Team Penske to a four-team, two-row sweep in qualifying for the IndyCar race at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois. The Australian set a track record with a two-lap run of 47.4579 seconds at 189.642 mph for Saturday’s race.
College COLORADO TO HONOR SALAAM >>
The University of Colorado will retire No. 19 in honor of Rashaan Salaam, who killed himself last December at age 42. The ceremony will take place during Colorado’s game against Cal on Oct. 28.