Cink gets on roll, shares lead at 64

LAS VEGAS — Stewart Cink birdied seven of the final 11 holes Thursday for a 7-under-par 64 and a share of the first-round lead with Martin Laird in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

Cink had a bogey- free round at TPC Summerlin in his first start since dropping out of the FedEx Cup playoffs after the second event. He won the last of his six PGA Tour titles at the 2009 British Open. Laird also had a bogey-free round. He played the front nine in 5-under 30 and added birdies on Nos. 15 and 18, holing a 50-foot putt on the last. The Scot won the 2019 event and lost in a playoff in 2010 when Jonathan Byrd made a hole-in-one on the fourth extra hole.

Scotland’s Russell Knox was third at 66.

Jarrod Lyle, Bo Van Pelt, Hideki Matsuyama, Sam Saunders, Brian Stuard and Andrew Svoboda shot 66.

Lyle is making his second PGA Tour start since a recurrence of leukemia some 18 months ago. The Australian tied for 31st last week in the season-opening Frys.com Open in Napa, Calif.

Bryce Molder (Conway) had four birdies and a bogey for a 3-under 68 and is tied for 19th place. Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) had five birdies and three bogeys for a 2-under 69. David Lingmerth (Arkansas Razorbacks) had two birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey for a 3-over 74.

Kang leads by 2

INCHEON, South Korea — Haeji Kang shot a 5-under 67 on Thursday to take a twostroke lead over five players, including three fellow South Koreans, after the first round of the LPGA’s KEB-Hanabank Championship.

Lee Il-hee and defending champion Amy Yang shot 69s along with Mirim Lee. Australian Minjee Lee and Catriona Matthew of Scotland also were tied for second on the wind-swept Ocean Course at the Sky72 Golf Club.

“I think looking back on my game overall today, I did very well,” Kang said. “Especially in the first nine holes, there were a couple of risks of actually bogeying some holes but I was able to stop and save with my putting.”

There were eight golfers tied for seventh another shot back, including No. 4-ranked Suzann Pettersen of Norway and American Brittany Lincicome.

Second-ranked Inbee Park, who could move to No. 1 with a victory in the absence of topranked Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks), was at 71. Park married swing coach Gi Hyeob-nam on Monday in Seoul.

No. 3 Lydia Ko of New Zealand shot 73.

U.S. Women’s Open champion Michelle Wie opened with a 76. She’s making her first start since withdrawing during the first round of the Evian Championship in September after reinjuring a stress fracture in her right hand.

Top-seed Stenson rallies

ASH, England — Defending champion Graeme McDowell’s comeback fell short, while Henrik Stenson rallied from three holes down with success at the World Match Play Championship on Thursday

McDowell fell to Mikko Ilonen of Finland 2 and 1 in their second pool match at the London Club.

It was only McDowell’s third defeat in 18 matches in the event.

Ilonen raced to 4 up after 10 holes before McDowell fought back with birdies on 11, 13 and 15 to go 1 down. Ilonen, the Irish Open champion, birdied the 17th to seal the victory.

Only pool leader Joost Luiten of the Netherlands and Victor Dubuisson remain unbeaten going into the last round of pool play today to determine the quarterfinalists.

Stenson, the top seed in the 16-man event, produced a startling finish of eagle-birdie-birdie to overcome Francesco Molinari of Italy 2 and 1.

Pablo Larrazabal holed a chip shot from the rough for birdie at the last hole to defeat Stephen Gallacher 1 up.

Dubuisson was never behind Shane Lowry of Ireland, claiming a 3 and 2 victory at the 16th hole.

Luiten was 4 up through 11 holes en route to beating Alexander Levy of France, last week’s Portugal Masters winner, 4 and 3.

Ryder Cup-winning hero Jamie Donaldson won 4 and 3 against U.S.-based Jonas Blixt of Sweden, American Patrick Reed won his first match in the event, 2 and 1 over 2006 champion Paul Casey of England, and George Coetzee of South Africa remained in quarterfinal contention by beating 2013 runner-up Thongchai Jaidee 2 and 1.

Randhawa ahead by 1

HONG KONG — Jyoti Randhawa shot a 6-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Hong Kong Open on Thursday.

Angelo Que (65) was in second place, one ahead of group of nine others at 66 that included four-time major champion Ernie Els.

Els, who turns 45 today, was playing in his first tournament during a month-long Asian swing which also will take him to Macau and China.

“I missed three very makeable putts on the back nine and that hurt a little bit,” Els said after carding six birdies and two bogeys.

The Hong Kong Open is sanctioned by both the European Tour and the Asian Tour and is being played for the second time on the European Tour calendar.

Cink