Palmer makes move at Torrey Pines as big names falter
Ryan Palmer had a round as magnificent as the weather at Torrey Pines, making 11 birdies for a 10-under 62 on the North Course in San Diego to build a two-shot lead over Brandt Snedeker in the Farmers Insurance Open.
For so many others, it wasn’t all that pretty.
Tiger Woods began his day with four putts from 25 feet and wound up with a 71 to be six shots back going into the weekend. Phil Mickelson missed the cut for the second straight week and headed for the practice range. Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele, defending champion Justin Rose and U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland also missed the cut.
Palmer had no such problems. He was sprinting toward a course record on the North until missing the fairway on the tough par-4 closing hole and making his only bogey of the round.
No matter. He was at 10-under 134, two shots clear of Snedeker, who shot 67 on the South. Snedeker loves the poa annua greens, having won at Torrey in 2016 and also winning at Pebble Beach.
Woods, going for his record 83rd career victory on the PGA Tour, recovered from his awful start by making four birdies in a five-hole stretch through the 10th hole. But he made only one more birdie the rest of the way, that on the 18th hole.
“It was a good middle part of the round,” Woods said.
The cut was at 1-under 143. SAGSTROM SHOOTS 62 TO TAKE LEAD IN GAINBRIDGE LPGA >> Madelene Sagstrom birdied seven of the first nine holes and shot a 10-under 62 to take the second-round lead in the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio.
Sagstrom had a 10-under 134 total for a one-stroke lead over Carlota Ciganda of Spain. Ciganda had a 66 in the first official event in Boca Raton, Florida, since the 1989 Oldsmobile LPGA Classic. Cydney Clanton, Nasa Hataoka and Jennifer Song each shot 64 to get to 8 under.
PEPPERELL REGAINS FORM, LEADS AFTER 2 ROUNDS IN DUBAI >> After opening the year with two missed cuts, Eddie Pepperell surged back into form at the Dubai (United Arab Emirates) Desert Classic by shooting 5-under 67 to take the lead after two rounds of the European Tour event.
Pepperell led three players — Bryson DeChambeau (67), Robert Karlsson (68) and Dean Burmester (68) — by a stroke at 8-under overall at Emirates Golf Club.
Tommy Fleetwood birdied five holes in his back nine to shoot 65 for the lowest round of the week, and was four strokes off the lead.
Women’s college basketball
UTAH TOPS CAL >> Sara Anastasieska scored 22 points and center Chen Yue matched a career-high with 10 rebounds, but Cal (8-10, 0-7 Pac-12) fell to Utah 71-62 in the program’s annual School Haas Rock game at Haas Pavilion.
The Bears hosted nearly 4,500 elementary and middle school-aged children as part of the team’s annual event that incorporates educational components into the game day experience.
OREGON TOPS OREGON STATE >> Fourthranked Oregon topped rival and seventh-ranked Oregon State 76-64 at home. Sabrina Ionescu had 23 points and nine assists to lead the Ducks. Taylor Jones scored 21 points for Oregon State (16-3, 4-3 Pac-12), which dropped its third in four games.
The Ducks (16-2, 6-1 Pac-12) will go for the series sweep Sunday. MCDONALD SCORES 24, NO. 18 ARIZONA BEATS ARIZONA STATE >> Aari McDonald had nine of her 24 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 11 rebounds to help No. 18 Arizona beat No. 16 Arizona State 59-53 at home in Tucson. Dominique McBryde’s 3-pointer with 3:05 to go sparked a 7-0 run for the Wildcats (16-3, 5-3 Pac12) that ended at 52-42 with 1:36 to go.
Robbi Ryan led the Sun Devils with 25 points with four 3-pointers. She hit a pair of 3s in the final 1:15 that helped the Sun Devils (15-5, 5-3) cut the deficit to four.
Sam Thomas added 13 points and Amari Carter scored 11 for the Wildcats.
Men’s college basketball
NO. 13 BUTLER OVERTAKES MARQUETTE FOR OT WIN >> Kamar Baldwin scored 31 points and added eight rebounds and five assists to carry No. 13 Butler to a come-from-behind, overtime victory at home over Marquette 8985. The Bulldogs (16-4, 4-3 Big East) overcame a nine-point deficit in the second half.
Markus Howard scored 26 points, and Anim added 22 for Marquette (14-6, 4-4).
PURDUE CONTINUES HOME DOMINANCE OF WISCONSIN >> Isaiah Thompson scored 14 points, and Purdue rolled 70-51 in a home rout of Wisconsin. The Boilermakers (11-9, 4-5 Big Ten) improved to 41-4 lifetime at home against the Badgers (12-8, 5-4).
College football
LSU’S ORGERON AGREES TO NEW 6-YEAR, $42 MILLION CONTRACT >> LSU coach Ed Orgeron has agreed to a new contract extension worth more than $7 million annually and which runs through the 2026 season, the university announced.
The new six-year agreement comes on the heels of the Tigers’ 15-0 national championship season that concluded earlier this month with a 42-25 victory over Clemson in the national title game in New Orleans.
Contract language, which remains subject to approval by the board of supervisors, calls for a base salary of $6 million plus various performance-related bonuses.
“Coach O has set a new standard at LSU,” athletic director Scott Woodward said. “He has proven that he is not only a championship coach, but also a leader of a program committed to doing things the right way. He has represented our institution and our state with great pride, on and off the field of play.”
Orgeron was the consensus 2019 national coach of the year.