Kyrie Irving took over, scoring on an array of shots and even over a backboard that was simply in his way. Irving scored 17 of his 45 points in the third quarter to overcome a double-digit deficit and the Brooklyn Nets went on to beat the Detroit Pistons 121-111 in overtime Saturday night. ”
With a running layup midway through the third quarter, Lakers forward LeBron James passed former Lakers guard Kobe Bryant for third on the NBA’s all-time scoring list Saturday night during a 108-91 loss to the 76ers in Philadelphia.
With 14 points in the first half against the 76ers, followed by four more halfway into the third quarter, Lakers forward LeBron James passed former Lakers guard Kobe Bryant for third on the NBA’s all-time scoring list Saturday night in Philadelphia.
LeBron James keeps racking up the accolades, this time passing Lakers legend Kobe Bryant (33,643 points) on the all-time scoring list.
SAN DIEGO – Ryan Palmer owes plenty to Jon Rahm but he has no problem trying to take something from him on Sunday at Torrey Pines. It was the fiery Spaniard who helped Palmer claim his fourth PGA TOUR win, nine years after getting his third, at last season’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The pair came together to take out the team event, which also gave Rahm his third PGA TOUR win. RELATED: Leaderboard | Tiger needs big Sunday to claim No. 83| Win probabilities But come Sunday at the Farmers Insurance Open the duo make up two of the final threesome looking to take home another title. Rahm leads after a sublime Sunday 65 left him 12 under for the week. Palmer is just one back in second place. As friendly as they are this time it’s for personal glory. “Of course you’re rooting for him at Zurich and trying to say, “hit it here” and “hit it there,” so maybe tomorrow I’ll say, “hit over there” instead,â€� Palmer joked. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. It’s fun when you get to play with guys you know well and you have a good time. Getting to watch him and play with Rory, that’s the position you want to be in. You want to be with the best come Sunday late in the day, so I’m excited about that chance.â€� Just how they came together goes back to before the first team iteration of the Zurich Classic in 2017. Jordan Spieth, Palmer and their caddies Michael Greller and James Edmondson were having a friendly round at Trinity Forest in Dallas late in 2016 when an interesting wager was thrown up by Edmondson. The former college golfer and four-time club champion from Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth issued a challenge to the 2015 FedExCup champion Spieth: If I beat you, you have to partner up with Palmer at Zurich. Edmondson won and a partnership with some 17 years of age difference was formed. They were fourth in 2017 in New Orleans before missing the cut in 2018 when they were paired with Rahm and Wesley Bryan. Despite both teams going out early they had a fun time. So when 2019 rolled around and Spieth decided to give the tournament a miss and Bryan was struggling with injuries a new option was available. “I’ve known Adam Hayes (Rahm’s caddie) a long time and I’ve played a lot of rounds with Jon in the last two, three years, had him at my charity event and became pretty good friends,â€� Palmer said. “It was a matter of James and I saying who do we really look at playing with. I didn’t want to just play to go play, I felt like I wanted to find a partner that I got along with, but also I knew I could really contend with. “I texted Adam and mentioned it and he said to text Jon, see what he says. We hit it off and I knew our games related so well … the way we both drive it … his short game and my iron play was a perfect match. We’re looking forward to doing it again.â€� Before that title defense in April comes Sunday’s round in San Diego. Rahm already won the Farmers Insurance Open in 2017, his first win on TOUR that came in incredible fashion. On that Sunday Rahm played the final nine holes in six under with two eagles and two birdies to blow away what previously was a bunched leaderboard. “Hopefully, I don’t need to shoot 6 under. Hopefully, I do shoot 6 under honestly and I don’t have to stress down the stretch,â€� Rahm said. “The only thing it’s going to do is keep me focused, no matter how good I’m playing, knowing that somebody can come and do the same thing.â€� Rahm’s Saturday 65 included a chip-in birdie on the first and a hole-out eagle from 111 yards on the second. He then birdied three of the four par-5s and produced a laser from 203 yards on the par-3 16th to set up a three-foot birdie. Along with his win at Zurich in 2019 Rahm also won three times on the European Tour and sits at third in the world rankings. He has an outside chance to move to second with a victory but at the very least would get within striking distance of top spot should he prevail at Torrey. “We all try to show up to a golf tournament thinking we’re the better player that week and we can do it and it’s just a matter of showing it,â€� he said. “So hopefully I can keep playing good, do it tomorrow and I can be back here and tell you I was the better player that week.â€� While the duo are the front runners, they won’t have it all their own way. With them in the final group is FedExCup champion Rory McIlroy. He will start three back of Rahm. A win for McIlroy will take him to the top of the world. “It was nice to shoot a good third round here and get myself a little bit closer,â€� McIlroy said after a 67. “The way it’s set up this week, I think it’s built for me, especially with how I’m driving the ball. It’s playing long, we’re not getting much roll out there. The rough’s up, fairways are pretty narrow. I would love bent greens instead of poa, but I guess you take what you’re given.â€� TOUR winners Sung Kang and Cameron Champ, plus rookie Harry Higgs join McIlroy at 9 under. Among the throng at 8 under, just four back, are more TOUR winners in Tony Finau, Marc Leishman, Patrick Reed, J.B. Holmes and Brandt Snedeker. And then of course lurking, perhaps a little far back but a chance none the less, is 82-time PGA TOUR winner Tiger Woods. He searches for a ninth professional win at Torrey Pines from five shots off the pace. “I still got to go out there and post a low one tomorrow, still got to make a bunch of birdies tomorrow and move up that board,â€� Woods said of the challenge ahead of him. Should he find a way to the top Woods would stand alone at the top of the all-time win list on the PGA TOUR, jumping out of a tie with Sam Snead.
OK, so Tiger is five back heading into the final round. Still, every spot matters if he wants to make the U.S. Olympic team. Plus, what Sunday could mean for Rory, Jon Rahm and more.
The Lions get back their quarterback and have to improve on defense … right? These five teams could take huge leaps next season.
SAN DIEGO — Jon Rahm chipped in for birdie and holed out from 111 yards for eagle to start his round Saturday, and he scrambled superbly along the back nine for a 7-under 65 at Torrey Pines and a one-shot lead over Ryan Palmer in the Farmers Insurance Open. Rahm won his first PGA TOUR title three years ago at Torrey Pines when he made a pair of eagles over the last six holes for a 66 to rally from a three-shot deficit. This time, he tries his hand with the lead. Related: Leaderboard | Tee Times | Woods needs big Sunday for win No. 83 Palmer traded birdies and bogeys most of the day until his 10-foot birdie on the 17th gave him a 1-under 71 and his second chance to win in as many starts this year. Joining them in the last group was Rory McIlroy. McIlroy hit a 5-iron from the bunker to 6 feet on the tough par-4 12th hole, hit his approach to 2 feet on the tough par-4 15th and two-putted for birdie on the 18th for a 67 that left him among those within three shots of the lead. Tiger Woods still had fleeting hope of picking up his record 83rd victory, mainly because of a par. Woods got within two of the lead at the turn and didn’t make another birdie in his round of 69. He had to make a 15-foot par on his final hole. Rahm was at 12-under 204 as he goes for his fourth PGA TOUR victory, and 11th worldwide. Woods was among 16 players within five shots of the lead, and Rahm knows from experience how momentum can change at Torrey Pines. He said having won here in 2017 will mean nothing to him Sunday. “The only thing it’s going to do is keep me focused, no matter how good I’m playing, knowing that somebody can come and do the same thing,” Rahm said. The third round started two hours late because of heavy fog, and even when the sun broke through, there wasn’t much clarity on the leaderboard with so many in contention. McIlroy is playing for the first time since late November and didn’t appear to pick up too much rust during his break. “Even if you’re not making that many birdies but if you keep giving yourself chances, it’s one of these golf courses that you feel like you’re playing really well, you might be a couple under,” McIlroy said. That’s OK. No one else is going that low. Keep doing the same thing tomorrow and should be right there.” Sung Kang (67) and PGA TOUR rookie Harry Higgs (69) joined McIlroy at 9-under 207, while the group at 8 under included Brandt Snedeker, who birdied his last two holes to salvage a 72. One day after Woods opened with a four-putt double bogey, he rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt and was on his way. He finished his front nine with a sand wedge he spun back to 3 feet for his fourth birdie, closing within two of the lead. And then he drilled his driver down the 10th fairway. Woods hit a pedestrian wedge to about 25 feet, and he didn’t have a birdie chance inside 20 feet the rest of the round. That included both par 5s, and the only putt he made was a 15-footer for par on the 18th after hitting wedge over the back and into a bunker. Still, it kept him from dropping a shot and falling further behind. “Just never got anything going coming home,” he said. “It was important to make that putt on 18.”
Up first is the Metropolitan Division vs. Atlantic Division followed by Pacific vs. Central. The winners of both matches will face off in the Final.
SAN DIEGO – Tiger Woods lit up the front nine of Torrey Pines on Saturday, allowing the raucous Southern California crowd to dream of an 83rd PGA TOUR win at the Farmers Insurance Open. RELATED: Leaderboard | Tiger’s chase for 83 | Morales relishes the time he took down Tiger at Torrey Pines The 44-year-old – who already has eight career wins at Torrey – had pulled within two of the lead and the fog that had delayed play earlier on the coastal course had no chance of returning such was the collective wind coming from the thunderous applause and thousands of cheers. The two hour delay to the start of play was not ideal for Woods who has undergone four back surgeries but he killed the time by sitting in his car with the heater dialed up. It seemed to do the trick. Woods started with revenge on the opening hole with a 13-foot birdie – the same hole he four-putted from 25 feet a day earlier for double bogey. He could’ve easily converted from a similar distance on the second but settled for par before hitting it stiff on the par-3 third to move to two under on the round. An important chip-in for par on the fourth kept the momentum and further birdies on the two par-5s on the front side had Woods rolling and the rest of the field taking notice. But then things stalled. Woods would make a sloppy bogey on the par-3 11th and then fail to make any birdies coming home. He did make an important par save on the last after a sloppy drive and wedge, leaving him with a respectable but not incredible 3-under 69. He now sits in a tie for 14th, five shots back of the lead held by 2017 champion Jon Rahm. If Woods is to take himself out of a tie with Sam Snead for the most TOUR wins of all time he will need to replicate his front nine heroics, but also continue the march down the stretch come Sunday. “The goal was to get to double digits at the end of the day. I figured that would be within maybe the last couple groups going out tomorrow,â€� Woods said. “Wasn’t quite able to get there, but hopefully tomorrow I can get off to another quick start and keep it going.â€� To do so Woods said he needs to get his approach game back to his lofty standards. After ranking 14th in Strokes Gained: Approach in round two, gaining +1.278 shots on the field, Woods dropped to 39th in the third round gaining just +0.231 strokes. “I missed my numbers a few times out there the last couple days and need to clean that up,â€� Woods said. “There were a couple times that we were talking about earlier with a new ball, it was going through the wind a little bit better and trying to get a feel for that. “You’re not going to win them all, and I’ve put myself there in the position to win a lot of events. I’ve lost my share of events, but in order to win them, you’ve got to be there a lot. Over the course of 20‑plus years out here, I’ve been pretty consistent.â€� Woods will have a chance to get out a little ahead of the lead pack and apply some pressure if he can start hot but he’s under no illusions it will be tough to reel in Rahm and the likes of FedExCup champion Rory McIlroy. TOUR winners Ryan Palmer, Sung Kang, Cameron Champ, Tony Finau, Patrick Reed, Marc Leishman, Brandt Snedeker and J.B. Holmes are also amongst those who will start above him. “I still got to go out there and post a low one tomorrow, still got to make a bunch of birdies tomorrow and move up that board,â€� he said. “No doubt it was important to make that putt (on 18). It was important to have some kind of positive momentum going into tomorrow.â€�
