GOLF ROUNDUP Winless Martin leads by two strokes at Shriners

LAS VEGAS — Ben Martin birdied five consecutive holes on the back nine Saturday and finished with a 9-under 62 to take a two stroke lead in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

Winless in 55 career starts on the PGA Tour, the 27-yearold former Clemson player matched his best score on the tour — set last year in the Zurich Classic — to get to 17-under 196 at TPC Summerlin.

Martin had four birdies and bogey on the front nine, birdied No. 10 and took the lead with his birdie run on Nos. 13-17.

Scotland’s Russell Knox, tied for the second round lead with Andrew Putnam, was second after a 66.

Jimmy Walker also had a 62 to move into a tie for third with Andrew Svoboda at 13 under. Walker won three times last season and played in the Ryder Cup. Svoboda had a 67.

Defending champion Webb Simpson also had a 67 to top the group at 12 under.

Putnam shot a 73 to drop into a tie for 24th at 8 under. He had six bogeys, four in a six-hole stretch on the back nine.

Jarrod Lyle was tied for 42nd at 6 under after a 70. The Australian is making his second PGA Tour start since a recurrence of leukemia some 18 months ago.

Bryce Molder (Conway) had six birdies and two bogeys for a 4-under 67 (205). He’s tied for 24th. Ken Duke ( Arkadelphia, Henderson State) had two birdies and three bogeys for a 1-over 72 (209).

Bae, Baek share lead

INCHEON, South Korea — The South Korean duo Hee Kyung Bae and Kyu Jung Baek both shot a 4-under 68 to take a share of the lead after the third round of the LPGA’s KEB-HanaBank Championship on Saturday.

Bae birdied five holes after the turn on the Ocean Course at the Sky72 Golf Club, while Baek had six birdies to go with two bogeys.

Both were at 5-under 211 overall, one stroke ahead of a large group that includes No. 2-ranked Inbee Park, Suzann Pettersen of Norway and overnight leader Karine Icher of France, who managed a 73.

Park (68) could supplant Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Ra- zorbacks) at No. 1 if she wins the tournament. Lewis is not playing this week.

U.S. Women’s Open champion Michelle Wie is just two strokes off the pace after sinking four birdies on the last five holes for a 67. Defending champion Amy Yang of South Korea shot a 67 and is four strokes off the lead.

Brittany Lincicome of the United States and Beatriz Recari of Spain both shot evenpar 72 to join the group of 10 players who are one stroke back.

Luiten advances

ASH, England — Joost Luiten extended his unbeaten run at the World Match Play Championship by easily defeating Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal 6 and 5 Saturday to move into the semifinals.

The Dutchman demoralized Larrazabal with seven birdies in overcast and wet conditions on the London Club course at Ash in Kent outside London, setting up a semifinal against Finland’s Mikko Ilonen.

In the other semifinal today, Henrik Stenson will take on George Coetzee of South Africa.

Stenson defeated Swedish compatriot Jonas Blixt by 2 holes with a birdie at the last, Coetzee eliminated American Patrick Reed 2 and 1.

Luiten won all three round- robin matches and was handed the first hole when Larrazabal found water guarding the green. He went on to win the second, fifth, sixth, seventh and the 11th before claiming victory with a par on the 13th.

Ilonen defeated European Ryder Cup-winning rookie Victor Dubuisson 2 up in a see-saw match, with the Finn producing a bogey-free display while his French opponent three-putted on three of the four par-3s for bogey.

Coetzee, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 89, was never behind in his match against Reed.

Fraser leads by 1

HONG KONG — Marcus Fraser of Australia shot a 5- under 65 Saturday to take a one shot lead after the third round of the Hong Kong Open, his first tournament after returning from an eightmonth injury layoff.

Fraser had four birdies on his last six holes to move to 11-under 199 and sit one shot ahead of fellow Australian Scott Hend.

Fraser has not played since February after needing surgery on his left hand, and said he only started practicing again six weeks ago.

Overnight leader Ernie Els struggled to find his touch with the putter as he made a 71, including a double-bogey and three bogeys to fall three shots behind the leader.

Els, who turned 45 on Friday, would have been in real trouble if not for an eagle on the par-five 13th hole which helped salvage his round somewhat.

Hend shot a 67 to sit one stroke ahead of a trio of players — South Africa’s Jbe Kruger, Angelo Que of the Philippines and England’s Mark Foster.

Foster made five birdies in a row from the 10th hole and added two more on Nos. 16 and 17, but then had a bogey on the last for a 66.

Haas out front

CONOVER, N.C. — Jay Haas shot a 4-under-par 67 Saturday to take a two stroke lead after the second round of the Champions Tour’s Greater Hickory Kia Classic.

Haas, the 60- year- old Wake Forest player who won the event in 2005 and 2009, had a 12-under 130 on Rock Barn Golf and Spa’s Champions Course. He extended his streak of under-par rounds to 22, making five birdies and a lone bogey on No. 17.

A 16-time winner on the 50-and-over tour, Haas has gone 27 months without a tournament victory.

His last title came in June 2012 in Des Moines, Iowa — also the last time that Haas has had sole possession of the lead entering a tournament’s final round.

Joe Durant, tied for the first-round lead with Haas at 63, had a 69 to drop into a tie for second with Kirk Triplett and South Africa’s David Frost. Triplett, the winner last week in Cary, had a 66, and Frost shot 65.

Frost, a five-time Champions Tour winner, had seven birdies and a bogey to make the best round of the day with Skip Kendall and Kenny Perry.

Triplett had six birdies and a bogey, while Durant birdied the final three holes to finish with six birdies and four bogeys.