PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Rory McIlroy left before his round was even over. Tiger Woods had to rally just to stick around.
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Rory McIlroy left before his round was even over. Tiger Woods had to rally just to stick around.
And with all that drama Friday in the Honda Classic, hardly anyone noticed that Luke Guthrie showed off his potential in a big way with a 7-under 63 to take a one-shot lead going into the weekend at PGA National.
Guthrie, pegged by many of his peers as a rookie worth watching going into the year, played bogey-free golf on another cool, cloudy day.
Of his seven birdies, perhaps the most impressive for the Big Ten champion from Illinois came on the sixth hole when he had mud on the side of his ball and was able to work the shot in from the right to about 10 feet.
He was at 9 under 131 and had a one-shot lead over Michael Thompson.
McIlroy, who missed the cut in Abu Dhabi and lost in the first round of the Match Play Championship in his previous two starts, made a double bogey on his second hole and rinsed two balls in the water on the 16th hole on his way to a triple bogey.
He hit his approach to the 18th in the water and never finished the hole.
Lewis takes 2-shot
lead at HSBC Champions
SINGAPORE — Stacy Lewis made six birdies to shoot a 6-under 66 and take a two-stroke lead after Friday’s second round of the HSBC Women’s Champions.
Lewis, the reigning LPGA Player of the Year, was at 11-under 133 at Sentosa Golf Club.
She led a pack of six players tied for second: Ariya Jutanugarn (66), Na Yeon Choi (66), Chella Choi (67), Paula Creamer (67), Sun Young Yoon (68) and overnight leader Azahara Munoz (70).
Top-ranked Yani Tseng stumbled with a double bogey on the par-5 4th hole and shot a 73. She was in tie for 21st at 3 under.
Michelle Wie also struggled, making four bogeys on her first five holes and six overall to shoot at 75. She’s at 2-over 146.
Defending champion Angela Stanford also struggled for the second straight day, matching her first-round 76 to sit at 8-over 152 overall. She’s in a tie for 59th place in the 61-player field.