Leishman backs up good start with a low score at BMW
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Marc Leishman followed his great start with another low score, a 7-under 64 that gave him a three-shot lead over Jason Day and Rickie Fowler going into the weekend at the BMW Championship.
Day, a Westerville resident, made a holein-one Friday for his third eagle of the week at Conway Farms in his round of 65. Fowler holed out a chip for eagle on the 14th hole.
Leishman also got in on the act. He turned a tough par into an unlikely birdie on the par-4 seventh hole when he hit into the native grass, chipped out to the fairway and hit a pitchand-run from 50 yards that he holed for birdie.
Leishman, who opened with a 62, was at 16-under 126.
Defending champion Dustin Johnson struggled again and was 16 shots behind.
Sung Hyun Park took full advantage of a fresh start to the Evian Championship in Evian-Les-Bains, France on Friday, firing an 8-under 63 to lead the rescheduled first round by three shots. That meant a 14-shot turnaround for the No. 3-ranked Park, who had been 6 over in the rain and wind Thursday morning. Play was abandoned and all scores wiped from the record, leaving the fifth and final women’s major as a 54-hole event. The South Korean regrouped and had seven birdies and an eagle to lead by three from Australia’s Katherine Kirk (66). Park, the U.S. Women’s Open champion, played in a stellar group with topranked So Yeon Ryu (75) and No. 2 Lexi Thompson (70).
Joel Stalter of France shot a 4-under 67 to take a one-stroke clubhouse lead at the KLM Open in Spijk, Netherlands before bad light suspended play with nearly half the field still to complete their second rounds. Stalter followed up his opening-round 65 to move to 10-under Friday and stay in contention for a first victory in his first year on the European Tour. He has already rolled in 14 birdies at The Dutch this week. Kiradech Aphibarnrat was alone in second place after a 65. Former No. 1 Lee Westwood also shot 65, containing six birdies and no dropped shots, and was three shots back.