Fitzpatrick leads McIlroy by one
Matt Fitzpatrick turned a fluffed shot into an unlikely par, closed with two straight birdies for a 5-under 67 and took a one-shot lead over Rory McIlroy going into the weekend of the HSBC Champions in Shanghai.
Fitzpatrick had a nasty lie in the rough just behind the 16th green and tried to stab it with the putter, only for the ball to pop straight up and roll out some 35 feet away. He holed that for a par to keep a clean card.
He was at 11-under 133, leading a pack so diverse that the top eight players were from eight countries.
Defending champion Xander Schauffele, still struggling with remnants of the flu, rallied for a 69 and was two shots behind along with Adam Scott (69) and Sungjae Im (69).
Li Haotong of China lost ground with a 72, but he remained in the mix at three shots behind.
THREE ON TOP IN BERMUDA >> Brendon Todd birdied his last four holes for an 8-under 63 and a share of the lead with Harry Higgs (65) and Scottie Scheffler (69) after the second round of the PGA Tour’s inaugural Bermuda Championship in Southampton, Bermuda. They were at 11-under 131.
Aaron Wise (65), Boo Weekley (66) and Wes Roach (69) were a stroke back.
MI JUNG HUR CARDS 66, LEADS KORDA BY ONE IN TAIWAN >> Mi Jung Hur shot a second consecutive 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead after the second round of the LPGA Swinging Skirts in Taipei, Taiwan. Hur, who is looking for her third victory this season, is at 12-under 132 overall. Defending champion Nelly Korda (67) was one shot back while trying to win her second LPGA title of the season and third of her career. Minjee Lee (67) and In-Kyung Kim (65) are two strokes behind.
JIMÉNEZ, MAYFAIR, AUSTIN SHARE LEAD IN CHAMPIONS PLAYOFF >> Miguel Angel Jiménez, a winner in the first playoff event, birdied the final two holes for a 6-under 66 and a share of the first-round lead in the Invesco QQQ Championship in Thousand Oaks, the second of three events in the PGA Tour Champions’ Charles Schwab Cup playoffs.
Jiménez joined Billy Mayfair and Woody Austin atop the leader board at Sherwood Country Club. Gene Sauers and Tom Gillis shot 67.
Women’s college basketball
TEAM USA AT MAPLES PAVILION>> Stanford is hosting the U.S. women’s national team today at 4 p.m. at Maples Pavilion. Team USA is on a series of exhibitions against college teams in preparation for the Tokyo Olympic Games next summer. Former Stanford star Nneka Ogwumike returns with Team USA.
Tennis
DJOKOVIC, NADAL ON COURSE TO MEET IN PARIS FINAL >> Top-ranked Novak Djokovic and No. 2 Rafael Nadal remain on course to face off in the Paris Masters final, a 55th match in their intense rivalry, after winning their quarterfinals in straight sets. Djokovic demolished seventh-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-1, 6-2.
Nadal had a more demanding contest against 2008 champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, with the first set tiebreak reaching 3-3 after Nadal double faulted. But when the veteran Spaniard broke the unseeded Frenchman at the start of the second he took control in a 7-6 (4), 6-1 win.
Nadal and Djokovic are vying for the year-end No. 1 ranking. Nadal will guarantee it for the fifth time if he wins the Paris Masters for the first time, while Djokovic is chasing a fifth title at Bercy Arena and a sixth yearend finish as No. 1.
PLISKOVA ADVANCES, SVITOLINA WINS AGAIN AT WTA FINALS >> Karolina Pliskova advanced to the semifinals of the WTA Finals for the third straight year, beating Simona Halep 6-0, 2-6, 6-4 shortly after defending champion Elina Svitolina completed a near-perfect group stage. Svitolina, who made it through the group stage without dropping a set, beat replacement Sofia Kenin 7-5, 7-6 (10). Kenin was playing her only match of the tournament after replacing the injured Bianca Andreescu.
Motorsports
HAMLIN RACING FOR NASCAR TITLE WITH TORN LABRUM >> Denny Hamlin is racing for a NASCAR championship with a torn labrum in his left shoulder that will require offseason surgery.
The 15-season Cup veteran arrived at this week’s race in Fort Worth, Texas, second in the standings with two races remaining to qualify for the title-deciding finale at Homestead. HAMILTON FASTEST IN SECOND PRACTICE AT U.S. GRAND PRIX >> Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton set the pace in Friday’s second practice ahead of the U.S. Grand Prix as he chases a sixth career Formula One championship on a track where he’s won five times since 2012.
Hamilton ran eighth in the morning practice, then set the fastest time in the afternoon with a lap 0.301 seconds quicker than Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
College administration
REPORTS: USC TO HIRE CINCINNATI’S BOHN AS AD >> USC will hire Cincinnati athletic director Mike Bohn to the same post, according to published reports. USC was in search of a new AD after Lynn Swann resigned from the post on Sept. 9.
Men’s college basketball
ARIZONA SUSPENDS SOPHOMORE DOUTRIVE >> No. 21 Arizona has suspended sophomore guard Devonaire Doutrive indefinitely for violating unspecified team rules. The school announced Doutrive’s suspension before Friday night’s exhibition game against Chico State.