GOLF ROUNDUP

Jimenez gets rolling on Champions Tour

DULUTH, Ga. - Miguel Angel Jimenez’s first round on the Champions Tour went quite well.

After one eagle, five birdies and a tournament record, Jimenez proclaimed, “I love it!” and then departed in search of a couple of his usual staples.

So far, life is good for the Spaniard on the 50-and-over tour.

Avoiding a post-Masters letdown, Jimenez shot a 7-under-par 65 on Friday to lead the cold, soggy Greater Gwinnett Championship by three strokes.

“Very good start,” Jimenez said.

“Now it’s time for a nice, warm shower, a nice fat cigar and a glass of Rioja. … I’m desperate to find one of my cigars and have a glass of wine.”

Jimenez, coming off a fourth-place finish in the Masters, was 6 under on his first nine holes Friday, including an eagle on No. 18. He added another birdie on No. 2 and closed with seven consecutive pars at TPC Sugarloaf.

Bernhard Langer set the previous tournament record with a 66 while winning the inaugural championship last year.

Langer, Steve Pate and Kenny Perry are three strokes behind Jimenez.

Perry said he thought Jimenez might have a letdown after his strong finish in Augusta.

“It’s funny, you go from the PGA to the Champions, it’s so much more laid back and relaxed over here,” Perry said. “The atmosphere is different. I actually didn’t know what he’d do today. Honestly, I didn’t think he would shoot 65. I thought he’d be more the other way, after a fourth-place finish, it’d be a letdown this week.

“He’s amazing. He’s fun to watch. He’s a great player.”

The 65 came six days after Jimenez shot the low round of the Masters, a third-round 66.

Jimenez is focused on making the European Ryder Cup team and may have limited time on the Champions Tour this year. Perry, the 2013 player of the year, said Jimenez will be good for the tour.

Fred Couples shot a 69, including a double bogey on No. 9, his finishing hole. Jeff Sluman also shot a 69.

Colin Montgomerie was part of a group of four at 70.

PGA

Choi on top at Heritage

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. - K.J. Choi’s early tee time and quick start moved him to the top of the rain-delayed RBC Heritage on Friday.

Choi shot a 67 to get to 5-under-par 137, one stroke ahead of Robert Allenby and two in front of a group led by former world No. 1 Luke Donald as the second round was suspended because of heavy storms.

Allenby was among 65 players still on the course when the rain hit Harbour Town Golf Links. Officials delayed the round shortly before 3 p.m. and then sent everyone home until this morning after waiting through about 90 minutes of steady, heavy rain.

Allenby has 13 holes to finish when play resumes.

Donald shot a 69 and joined Billy Hurley III (69) and first-round tri-leader Scott Langley (73) in the clubhouse two shots behind Choi. Bo Van Pelt and Ben Martin were also at 3 under early in their rounds.

Masters contenders Matt Kuchar and 20-year-old Jordan Spieth faltered after their strong starts at Harbour Town.

Kuchar, who tied for fifth last week at the year’s first major, had two double bogeys on his first six holes before the rains came and stood four shots behind Choi.

Spieth, a Masters rookie who tied for second at Augusta National, had a 74 and was at 1-over 143 - good enough to make the projected cut of 4 over, but well off his opening 69.

Choi was four shots back of first-round leaders Kuchar, Langley and William McGirt at the beginning of the day. Based on his recent play, he didn’t figure to make much of a dent in the cool, drizzly conditions.

Allenby jumped into second after birdies on the first and second holes.

Donald is coming off a disheartening Masters (he shot 79-70 to miss the cut), but he generally plays well at the RBC Heritage. He’s had four top threes in his past five appearances and, with his 69, broke par for the 17th time in his last 22 rounds here.

Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) shot evenpar 71 and is tied for 36th at 1 over par.

Glen Day (Little Rock) and John Daly (Dardanelle, Arkansas Razorbacks) were unable to complete their rounds. Bryce Molder (Conway) had two birdies, five bogeys and two double bogeys for a 7-over 78 (152).

EUROPEAN PGA Westwood leads

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Lee Westwood shot a 6-under 66 for a four-stroke lead in the second round of the Malaysian Open on Friday.

Westwood, once ranked No. 1, is pursuing his first title in two years. He was at 131 with two rounds to go. The Englishman had eight birdies, his only error a double bogey when he hit into water guarding the green at the par-3 11th hole at Kuala Lumpur Country Club in the European and Asian Tour event.

“I got a little unlucky at 11,” said Westwood, who was seventh at the Masters. “It was one of the best shots I hit all day, and the wind just gusted on me and it came up short in the water. But I rallied after that.”

Antonio Lascuna of the Philippines carded a 65 to hold the lead at 9 under before being overtaken by Westwood.

Defending champion Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand was tied with Larrazabal after a pair of 71s.

Pablo Larrazabal birdied the 14th hole en route to a 2-under 68.

LPGA

Stanford ahead by 4

KAPOLEI, Hawaii - Angela Stanford shot a 5-under 67 on Friday to open a four-stroke lead after three rounds of the LPGA LOTTE Championship in breezy Hawaii.

Stanford is 13 under going into the final round today, ahead of Hyo Joo Kim and Michelle Wie at 9 under.

Stanford, a five-time LPGA Tour winner, finished the day with six birdies and one bogey, one day after taking the tournament lead with a 64 in the second round.

“I kind of found something [here] and for some reason I just have a really good feel on these greens,” Stanford said. “It’s been a lot fun watching the ball go in.”

Stanford birdied two holes in a row on the front nine, getting to 10 under with a birdie on the par-5 fifth hole. She moved to 13 under with birdies on Nos. 11, 12 and 13.

Wie shot 2 under in the third round and is tied with the 18-year-old Kim, who shot a 69 on Friday. Wie, who played with Stanford, had bogeys on Nos. 7 and 18.

Cristie Kerr shot a 70 to move to fourth at 8 under. Amy Anderson, top-ranked Inbee Park and So Yeon Ryu were tied for fifth at 6 under. Anderson, an LPGA rookie, shot her best round yet with a 68.

Karen Stupples (Arkansas State) did not make the cut.

Wind gusts were up to 20 mph across the fairways at Ko Olina Golf Club, a resort area in west Oahu, according to the National Weather Service.

Leaderboard

CHAMPIONS TOUR GREATER GWINNETT

At TPC Sugarloaf (Par 72, 7,131 yards),

Duluth, Ga.

Miguel A. Jimenez.................35-30-65

Steve Pate .............................33-35-68

Bernhard Langer ...................36-32-68

Kenny Perry ..........................35-33-68

Fred Couples .........................35-34-69

Jeff Sluman ...........................36-33-69

PGA TOUR RBC HERITAGE

At Harbour Town Golf Links (Par 71, 7,101 yards),

Hilton Head, S.C.

Partial second of four rounds

K.J. Choi ............................. 70-67-137

Scott Langley ..................... 66-73-139

Luke Donald ....................... 70-69-139

Billy Hurley III ..................... 70-69-139

Nicholas Thompson ........... 70-70-140

Geoff Ogilvy ........................ 72-68-140

Charl Schwartzel ................ 70-70-140

ARKANSANS

Ken Duke ............................ 72-71-143

Bryce Molder ...................... 74-78-152

  • Complete scores, Page 7C

Sports, Pages 26 on 04/19/2014

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