Back after 12 years, Sorenstam gets 2 more days on LPGA Tour
ORLANDO, Fla. — Annika Sorenstam went more than 12 years without playing on the LPGA Tour. Now she gets two more days.
Sorenstam made three birdies after making the turn Friday at Lake Nona and posted a 1-under 71 in the Gainbridge LPGA. And even with the wrong ruling the previous day that led to an extra stroke, she still made the cut on the number.
“I did what I could,” Sorenstam said. “The goal was to shoot under par and I did, and so that’s all I can do.”
She still was 12 shots out of the lead as Lydia Ko posted a 3-under 69 and took a one-shot lead over Nelly Korda (68). Ryan O’Toole had her second straight 68 and was another shot behind.
Sorenstam, making a one-time appearance because the LPGA Tour is at her home course, finally got some putts to drop and ran off three birdies on her second nine. She finished 36 holes at 2-over 146 and was right on the cut line.
And then she had to wait for the other half to play in the afternoon, wonder if that ruling in
the opening round would come back to cost her the weekend.
Sorenstam took a triple bogey on the fifth hole of the opening round when her tee shot avoided going out-ofbounds by a fraction. But it was directly under the gate of a wrought iron fence, the boundary. She asked about opening the gate but was told a stipulation in the rules didn’t allow for that.
So she chose to take a penalty drop, pitched out to the fairway and three-putted from 18 feet in her round of 75.
Turns out that was one of the changes to the modernization of the Rules of Golf in 2019, the largest overhaul ever. The gate now is treated as a movable obstruction — meaning it could be swung open, provided it was not locked (it wasn’t).
The penalty could not be rescinded because Sorenstam played from a different spot.
Late string of birdies gives Koepka the lead at Concession
BRADENTON, Fla. — Brooks Koepka hit one his worst tee shots of the day that barely cleared the water on the 15th hole. That turned out to be the start of three straight birdies that led to a 6-under 66 and a one-shot lead Friday in the Workday Championship.
In some respects, that’s how his recent surge has been.
Coming off a pair of missed cuts, Koepka won the Phoenix Open to end an 18-month drought. And now he’s starting to hit his stride with the first major of the year creeping up quickly.
Koepka hit a chip 9-iron to 6 feet for birdie on No. 15, nearly holed his wedge on the next hole and then birdied the par5 17th with a splendid bunker shot across the ridges and down the slope to tap-in range.
He closed with a bogey by avoiding a deceptive pin near the water on the closing hole at The Concession. Koepka, who finished at 11-under 133, had a one-shot lead over Cameron Smith, Billy Horschel and PGA champion Collin Morikawa, who made up ground quick with six birdies over his last 10 holes.
Virus sidelines Raptors coaches, Siakam for Rockets game
The Toronto Raptors were without six members of their coaching staff, including head coach Nick Nurse, and starting forward Pascal Siakam for Friday night’s game against Houston in accordance with the NBA’s health and safety protocols regarding the coronavirus.
Assistant coach Sergio Scariolo was promoted to coach the team’s game in Tampa, Florida, against the Rockets. The Raptors said Nurse and the remainder of his staff will continue to work remotely.
Scariolo had been away from the Raptors while coaching
Spain in FIBA’s EuroBasket 2022 qualifiers and just cleared quarantine Friday. The Raptors were considering other options if he was not cleared to coach in time, including bringing their G League staff from that league’s bubble season, currently going on in Lake Buena Vista, Florida — about an hour from Tampa. The Raptors lost an assistant coach last weekend when Chris Finch was hired as Minnesota’s head coach.
Horne, Wright lead Colorado to 80-62 rout of No. 19 USC
BOULDER, Colo. — Jeriah Horne hit a career-best six 3-pointers on his way to 24 points, McKinley Wright IV had a career-high 14 assists and Colorado routed No. 19 Southern California 80-62 on Thursday night to sweep the season series.
Wright added 15 points for the Buffaloes (18-7, 12-6 Pac12), who have won six straight against the Trojans (19-5, 13-4).
Already the school’s career leader in assists, Wright and his speed gave the Trojans fits all evening. His 14 assists tied for the second-most in program history. The record is 15 by Jose Winston against Coppin State on Jan. 2, 2001.
In an efficient performance, Colorado had 20 assists on 27 baskets.
The loss was a blow to USC, which fell a half-game behind rival UCLA (17-5, 13-3) for first place in the Pac-12 race.