LAS VEGAS — Brett Stegmaier birdied the final hole Saturday for a 3-under 68 and a one-stroke lead in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. ADVERTISING LAS VEGAS — Brett Stegmaier birdied the final hole Saturday for a 3-under 68
LAS VEGAS — Brett Stegmaier birdied the final hole Saturday for a 3-under 68 and a one-stroke lead in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
Making his fifth career PGA Tour start, Stegmaier rebounded for a bogey on the par-3 17th with a 13-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th to reach 13-under 68. The 32-year-old former University of Florida player completed a second-round 66 on Saturday morning for a share of the lead.
Morgan Hoffman was second after a 66. After making four birdies in a four-hole stretch, he hooked his drive on 18 into the desert rocks and ended up saving bogey with a 10-foot putt.
Jimmy Walker, former UNLV player Chad Campbell and 2011 winner Kevin Na were tied for third at 11 under. Walker had a 69, Na shot 68, and Campbell 70.
Alex Cejka had a hole-in-one on the 212-yard 17th in a 66 that left him at 10 under along with Nick Taylor (67), Jason Bohn (69) and Cameron Tringale (70). Cejka won the Puerto Rico Open last year for his first PGA Tour title. The 44-year-old Czech-born German lives in Las Vegas.
LPGA TAIWAN CHAMPIONSHIP
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Lydia Ko took a four-stroke lead in the LPGA Taiwan Championship, putting the 18-year-old New Zealander in position to regain the top spot in the world ranking.
Ko had four birdies in a five-hole stretch and closed with another birdie for a 5-under 67 in windy conditions at rain-soaked Miramar.
She would jump from second to first in the world with a victory or second-place finish Sunday and also could take the top spot under other scenarios depending on where top-ranked Inbee Park finishes in the Korea LPGA’s KB Financial Star Championship. Park, the winner last year at Miramar, was tied for fourth Saturday in the South Korean event.
Ko had a 13-under 203 total. South Korea’s Eun-Hee Ji, a stroke ahead after each of the first two rounds, was second after a 72. England’s Charley Hull was another shot back after a 71.
Ko won the Evian Championship in France last month to become the youngest major champion and is tied with Park for the tour victory lead with four. Ko and Park also entered the week tied for the lead in the player of the year points race.
HONG KONG OPEN
HONG KONG — Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard shot a 6-under 63 for a share of the Hong Kong Open lead with England’s Justin Rose.
Rose had a 64 to match Bjerregaard at 15-under 195 at Hong Kong Golf Club. India’s Anirban Lahiri was third at after a 65.
