GOLF ROUNDUP Surging Bruins edge Devils on Spooner’s goal
Mexico Championship
Justin Thomas made a hole-in-one and surged into the lead with a 5-under 66 on a Saturday of high entertainment in the Mexico Championship. Thomas hit a 6-iron from 239 yards that one-hopped into the cup on the par-3 13th. He added a pair of birdies that gave him a one-shot lead over Dustin Johnson, with Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy right behind at Chapultepec Golf Club. Johnson, in his debut at No. 1 in the world, was tied for the lead when his second shot on the 16th got stuck in a tree. He walked back to the original spot and hit the next one to 15 feet, and the ball fell out of the tree as he was walking to the green. He made the putt to salvage a bogey and shot 66. Mickelson didn’t hit a fairway on the back nine until the 16th hole and at one point took as many drops as he had birdies. Even so, Lefty managed to make three straight birdies until closing with a bogey for a wild round of 68. He was two shots behind, along with McIlroy, who didn’t make a birdie over his last seven holes and shot 70.
HSBC Women’s Champions
Michelle Wie shot a 5-under 67 to take a two-stroke lead into the final round of the HSBC Women’s Champions, with some of the LPGA Tour’s biggest stars right behind her. The American had a 14-under 202 total on Sentosa’s Tanjong Course. Top-ranked Lydia Ko (67) was tied for second with second-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn (69) and Park Sung-Hyun (68). Defending champion Ha Na Jang (68) and Olympic champion Inbee Park (71) were 11 under.
Tshwane Open
Sweden’s Alexander Bjork and Scotland’s Scott Jamieson each shot 3-under 68 to share the third-round lead in the Tshwane Open. They were at 13-under-par 200 at Pretoria Country Club. Spain’s Jorge Campillo and South Africa’s Dean Burmester were a stroke back, each shooting 65.
Boston — Ryan Spooner scored midway through the third period to lift the Boston Bruins over the New Jersey Devils 3-2 on Saturday night for their eighth victory in 10 games under interim coach Bruce Cassidy. Brandon Carlo and Torey Krug also scored for the Bruins, and backup goalie Anton Khudobin stopped 15 shots. Cassidy took over for fired coach Claude Julien on Feb. 7.
Kyle Palmieri and Devante Smith-Pelly had goals for the Devils, who dropped their sixth straight (04-2) as their playoff hopes continue to fade. Cory Schneider made 37 saves.
Spooner one-timed newcomer Drew Stafford’s pass from the right circle for the winner 8:18 into the period.
Stafford, acquired from Winnipeg for a conditional sixth-round pick on Wednesday, nearly had a goal in his Bruins debut midway into the second when he poked a loose puck under Schneider, but it was overturned after a review due to goaltender interference.
The horn went off inadvertently twice early in the third, stopping play both times. Palmieri’s goal tied it seconds after the first stoppage when he converted a 2-on-1 with Taylor Hall.
Carlo’s goal broke a 1-1 tie late second period. The 20-year-old rookie defenseman fired a shot that deflected off the stick of New Jersey wing Nick Lappin, popped into the air and past the stick of Schneider.
Krug had given Boston a 1-0 lead 7:06 into the second when he onetimed a shot inside the left post from the slot for a power-play goal.
The Devils didn’t get their first shot on goal in the second until nearly nine minutes into the period.