Lowry Slips in Waste Management Open

Getty Images

Shane Lowry closed his second day in Arizona with a round of 70 and dropped off the pace as James Hahn shot a bogey-free 6-under 65 in breezy conditions Friday to take the lead in the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Hahn had a 10-under 132 total on TPC Scottsdale's Stadium Course to enter the weekend a stroke ahead of Rickie Fowler and Danny Lee. Fowler birdied his final hole for a 68, and Lee had a 66.

"I'm having fun out there," Hahn said. "Making a lot of putts, hitting a lot of fairways, giving myself many opportunities to make birdie."

An estimated 160,415 fans, not counting a large bobcat that sauntered between the first and second holes in the afternoon, packed the grounds. The crowd broke the Friday record of 123,674 set in 2014 and was the 10th-largest figure for any day in tournament history.

Hahn is at home at golf biggest party, becoming an internet sensation in 2013 when he celebrated a birdie on the rowdy par-3 16th with a "Gangnam Style" dance. He won his first PGA TOUR title last year in a playoff at Riviera.

"It's good for golf, good for the game, good for the fans that come out here," Hahn said. "They support the golf tournament, so might as well give them a show."

Hahn opened with a chip-in birdie on the par-4 10th and birdied the two back-nine par 5s, making a 30-footer on the 13th and hitting a wedge to 7 feet on the 15th. On his final nine, he hit a wedge to 3 feet to set up a birdie on the par-4 second, chipped to 3 feet for another birdie on the par-5 third, and took the outright lead with a 10-footer on the par-4 sixth.

"Sleeping in my own bed this week, live about 10 minutes away," Hahn said. "I have played this course a hundred times. The only thing different about the course today, as any other day, is the greens are better."

Fowler rebounded from a three-putt bogey on the short par-4 17th with the birdie on the par-4 18th. A day after driving into the left-side water, he hammered a fairway wood down the middle and -- with music thumping in the background -- hit his approach to 4 feet.

"It wasn't playing easy," Fowler said. "The wind was kind of blowing from an awkward position. ... Just tried to stay patient, fight through it."

The top-ranked player in the field at No. 4, Fowler has four worldwide victories in the last nine months. He missed the cut last week at Torrey Pines after winning in Abu Dhabi the previous week.

Lee birdied five of his first eight holes, highlighted by a 20-footer on the stadium 16th. The South Korean-born New Zealander won The Greenbrier Classic last year for his first tour title.

"Wind was definitely in play today," Lee said. "It was a little bit different than yesterday. The greens being so firm, you're kind of forced to hit driver. You want to hit a shorter club on the second shot."

Harris English and Hideki Matsuyama (70) were 7-under.

Keegan Bradley, penalised two strokes Thursday for having too many clubs in his bag, was 5-under after a 69. Bradley and caddie Steve Hale didn't notice the extra club until after the first hole in the first round.

Bubba Watson shot his second straight 69. "I used the wrong words," Watson said. "I have nothing against the fans and the tournament. The fans have been great. I love coming here. I've lived here every winter for eight years. This is a beautiful place. ... I didn't explain myself well. My wife says that, too, when I go home. I don't communicate very well."

The two-time Masters champion tied for second the last two years and has shot par or better in all 36 of his career rounds in the event, playing to a cumulative 97-under.

Phil Mickelson was 2-under after a 71. The 45-year-old former Arizona State player bogeyed Nos. 14 and 15, hitting a hybrid approach into the water on 15.

"That kind of let the round get away," said Mickelson, the tournament winner in 1996, 2005 and 2013. "I'm looking forward to having another shot at this golf course tomorrow."

Four players were unable to complete the round because of darkness, with Bo Van Pelt the best of group at 5-under with two holes left. ... Brandt Snedeker, the winner Monday at Torrey Pines, was 4-under after a 71. ... Jason Dufner shot 71-74 to miss the cut in his first start since winning at La Quinta.

Paul Dunne looks set to miss the cut after a second round 71 left him one shot adrift of the mark.

Padraig Harrington mussed the weekend and will  move to Pebble Beach after Friday saw  him sign ffor a 72 to finish +4

Related articles

• Grass Party
• Fixing Slow Play in Golf
• Are you a slow cart golfer - part three?
• Holden Little Drivers puts spotlight on young golfing talent
• Hilarious
• Ron Harkey Memorial Golf Tournament

Lowry Wastes No Shots in Phoenix

Getty Images

Shane Lowry fired a first round a 65 on a chilly Thursay at the Waste Mangement Phoenix Open to secure a three way share of the clubhouse lead with Rickie Fower and Hideki Matsuyama.

Lowry birdied seven of his first 13 holes, then bogeyed the next two.

"I got to 7-under and just became a little bit tense there," the Irishman said. "That's something that I need to work on. ... It's a bad mistake if you don't learn from it."

Fowler overcame some bad shots with Phil Mickelson compounding his mistakes and fell back.

After an hour-long frost delay at chilly TPC Scottsdale, Fowler played the first six holes in 5-under. A group behind, Mickelson took the lead at 5-under with a birdie on his eighth hole.

While Fowler finished with a 6-under 65 to tie Lowry and Matsuyama for the lead in the suspended first round, Mickelson had a 69 after dropping four strokes in a two-hole stretch.

"I made some good putts to start," Fowler said. "Just kind of got everything going. Made a couple of bad swings. Cost me a little bit, but other than that, nice way to get off to a good start."

Mickelson bogeyed the par-3 fourth after hitting short and right and failing to reach the green with his second, and unraveled with a triple bogey on the par-4 fifth. He drove out of bounds to the right, hit his second tee shot into the right bunker and three-putted from 50 feet.

"I hit a bad shot at the wrong time," Mickelson said. "It's the tightest hole out there. You miss the fairway 5 yards left, you're in the wash, in the hazard. You miss it right of the bunker, you're out of bounds. ... I'm not going to dwell on the one bad one because there were really a lot of good ones."

The best one was on the par-5 13th -- his fourth hole of the day -- when he hit a 252-yard hybrid approach to 2 1/2 feet to set up an eagle.

Winless in 48 events since the 2013 Open Championship, the 45-year-old former Arizona State player is working with swing coach Andrew Getson after splitting with Butch Harmon. Lefty tied for third two weeks ago at La Quinta in his season debut and missed the cut last week at Torrey Pines.

"When you don't score as low as you feel like you're playing, it can be frustrating, but for me, I find it to be more encouraging that I'm making a lot of birdies," said Mickelson, the tournament winner in 1996, 2005 and 2013.

Fowler also missed the cut at Torrey Pines after winning the European Tour event in Abu Dhabi the previous week. He has four worldwide victories in the last nine months.

"I know I have been swinging well and playing well," Fowler said. "I just didn't make anything last week."

Fowler opened with a birdie on the par-4 10th as the temperature crawled into the 40s, holing a 16-foot putt. He made a 35-footer on the 12th, two-putted for birdie on the 13th and made a 28-foot eagle putt on the par-5 15th after hitting a 258-yard shot over the water.

"I had a good number in there," Fowler said. "Actually, put a 5-wood in play last week, a new one."

The top-ranked player in the field at No. 4, Fowler bogeyed the par-3 16th after drawing an awkward lie in the right bunker. He birdied the short par-4 17th, and bogeyed the par-4 18th after driving left into the water. On his back nine, he got up-and-down for birdie from a greenside bunker on the par-5 third and closed with a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-4 ninth.

Matsuyama was in one of the last groups to finish before play was stopped because of darkness.

India's Anirban Lahiri was a stroke back at 66, and Bryce Molder also was 5-under with two holes left. He was one of 33 players who failed to finish.

Bubba Watson opened with a 69. He tied for second the last two seasons.

Padraig Harrington signed for a 74

Paul Dunne was -1 overnight after the suspension ended his first round on the tenth hole.

Related articles

• Siena hopes Clareth gets hot in UAlbany game
• Darren Clarke and Y.E. Yang To Participate In SMBC Singapore Open
• Jordan Spieth in a 3-way tie for the lead in Bahamas
• Watson ties course record and takes 2-shot lead in Bahamas
• Golf Strategy: Playing a Par 3
• Sporting surprises of 2015

Torrey Pines Sunday for Dunne and Lowry

Paul Dunne sank a nerve-jangling, downhill birdie putt on the final green to sit just four shots off the lead going into the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open.

The Greystones man posted his third consecutive under-par round in his first professional start on the PGA Tour with a one-under-par 71 on the South Course at Torrey Pines Golf Club.

Dunne endured a slow start with bogeys on the first and fourth hole but bounced back with birdies on the sixth and eighth holes to go out in level par.

Another bogey followed on the 11th before birdies on 13 and the aforementioned 18th sees Dunne sitting in a tie for 17th going into the final round.

Sunday’s finale will see the golfers out on the course in three-balls with an early start due to a local weather warning and perhaps the bad weather might suit the Irishman who would be no stranger to inclement conditions.

Shane Lowry shot a one-over-par 73 to sit on one under for the tournament and is currently in a tie for 40th place.

On Thursday he had finished birdie-birdie on the North Course to dip under par, carding a one-under 71 in his season opener. He continued in similar form starting off the back nine on Friday - with birdies on the 14th and 16th cancelled out by a bogey on the 13th. Birdies on the first and ninth then were similarly cancelled out by bogeys on the fourth and seventh for a second consecutive 71.

Scott Brown and KJ Choi lead the field on nine under par.

Related articles

• LeBron crashes into crowd, injures woman
• You Can Make a Difference
• PGA golfer's wife stretchered out after collision with Lebron
• PGA golfer's wife stretchered out after collision with Lebron
• Wife of golf Jason Day released from hospital after LeBron James plows into her during game
• LeBron James plows into crowd, wife of golfer Jason Day hurt

Turner Trails Song and Spieth in Singapore

Niall Turner finished his second round at the SMBC Singapore Open signing for a level par round on Friday to hold  a share of 30th place - eight strokes off the lead. But only three shots behind Jordan Spieth who also signed for a level par second after opening with a  67 the previous day.

Korea’s Younghan Song surged up the leaderboard after carding an eight-under-par 63 in the second round of the weather-hit event on Friday.

Play was suspended because of inclement weather at 3.06pm (local time) and could not resume due to thunderstorms and lightning activities around the Serapong Course at Sentosa Golf Club.

A total of 78 players, including world number one Jordan Spieth and Byeonghun An who completed seven holes, will return to finish their rounds at 7.30am on Saturday morning with round three scheduled to start immediately upon the completion of the second round.

An was at seven-under while Spieth traded one birdie and one bogey to stay at four-under after six holes, five shots back of Song at the US$1 million event which is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).

“I didn’t get off to a great start but made a good birdie on number two. That’s golf, that’s weather, you can’t control that. I could tell it was bad on other parts of the course,” said Spieth.

Song was on fire as he marked his card with seven birdies, one eagle and a bogey to establish a two-shot advantage over Japan’s Shintaro Kobayashi with his two-day total of nine-under-par 133.

The Korean stormed off the blocks quickly in the morning, going to five-under after four holes with two birdies and an eagle-three on four.

He charged towards the turn with another two birdies on seven and eight and continued to set the scorching pace with another pair of birdies on 10 and 11 before a bogey-five on 12 put the brakes momentarily on his charge.

After three straight pars from 13, Song sunk another birdie on 16 before reaching home comfortably in 63.

“It was a superb round and I really have to thank my excellent putting for putting me in this position.

“The goal is to win the tournament this week and for now, I just want to take a good rest before I come back again and hopefully play well like what I did today,” said Song.

Kobayashi meanwhile showed no signs of fatigue despite having to return early to complete his first round which was also suspended due to lightning yesterday.

The Japanese followed up his opening effort of a 66 with a 69 to put himself in a commanding position for the weekend rounds.

The 29 year-old had slightly more than an hour of rest before he was back at the tee again.

The Japanese went out in 35 after three birdies and two bogeys and would make another birdie on 17 to sign for a 69.

“I didn’t feel tired at all today. Maybe because it was cool in the morning and it only started to get a little hot and humid as the day went on.

“I feel comfortable on this course and if I continue to play like what I’ve done, anything can happen,” said Kobayashi.

Related articles

• Darren Clarke and Y.E. Yang To Participate In SMBC Singapore Open
• Golf: Asian Tour's Order of Merit crown for Anirban Lahiri
• Taylor Swift As A Blue-Haired 11-Year-Old Has To Be The Cutest Thing Ever
• LMAO Comedy Tour
• Watson ties course record and takes 2-shot lead in Bahamas
• Donaldson opens with 63 to lead Thailand Championship by 3

Dunne Fits Right in at Farmers

AP

PGA Tour newcomer Paul Dunne looked at ease in his firts outing carding a three-under-par 69 to finish round one three shots off the lead at the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego.

Dunne, at the tournament thanks to a sponsor's invite, shot a sole bogey to sit in a 19-way tie for 15th which also included Patrick Reed and Phil Mickelson.

Offaly's Shane Lowry also made a solid start at Torrey Pines, going round in a one-under 71 

Americans Scott Brown and Andrew Loupe shared the lead as home players occupied the first seven places after the first round.

The duo were tied on six under par after both opened with rounds of 66 with Brown having eight birdies and two bogeys in his round.

Brown played the more difficult South Course whereas Loupe's opening round was on the North Course.

Brown said: "I hit it really well coming in, the last 11 holes. I made a couple of length putts and capitalised on the short ones.

"It's a hard golf course, if you're out of position you are immediately playing for par. Fortunately I drove it good and hit a lot of good iron shots today," Brown added in an interview on the PGA Tour website.

Loupe had two eagles, four birdies and two bogeys as he and Brown led fellow countrymen Billy Horschel, Patton Kizzire, Tom Hoge, Rob Hoppenheim and Harold Varner III by a single stroke.

A seven-way tie on five under par included Americans Gary Woodland, Brendan Steele, Scott Stallings, Matt Every and Chesson Hadley.

Also sharing eighth place were South Korea's KJ Choi and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama.

Defending champion Jason Day had gone into the tournament hoping to be competitive despite suffering from a virus but he ended the opening round tied forth 76th on even par in a group which also included England's Brian Davis.

English pair Greg Owen and Paul Casey both shot one over par rounds of 73 to be in a tie for 90th place.

Related articles

• Darren Clarke and Y.E. Yang To Participate In SMBC Singapore Open
• LeBron crashes into crowd, injures woman
• You Can Make a Difference
• PGA golfer's wife stretchered out after collision with Lebron
• PGA golfer's wife stretchered out after collision with Lebron
• Wife of golf Jason Day released from hospital after LeBron James plows into her during game