Clayton Kershaw struck out four without allowing a hit in his spring training debut Friday, the first step toward a possible opening-day start for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Brendan Steele made a couple of big mistakes down the stretch, and still was good enough to grab the outright lead at the midpoint of The Honda Classic. Related: Leaderboard | Koepka and Fowler miss cut at The Honda Classic Steele shot a 3-under 67 on Friday, getting to 5 under for the week and putting himself a shot clear of J.T. Poston (69), Lee Westwood (69) and Luke Donald (66) after the second round at PGA National. This is Steele’s ninth time playing the Honda and the first time he’s ended any round at PGA National with the lead. He missed the cut last year by 10 shots, but most of what he’s doing so far this year has worked — that is, until he made bogey on two of his last three holes Friday. “My first few years here I couldn’t quite figure it out,” Steele said. “I thought maybe it wasn’t a good course for me. … I don’t feel like it’s a course you can just jump out your first time and have it nailed. You have to see it in all the different winds and conditions that you have.” The cut was 3 over, and most of the biggest names in the field aren’t sticking around for the weekend. Among them: Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler, Justin Rose and defending champion Keith Mitchell. Koepka shot a 4-over 74 for the second consecutive day and missed the cut by five shots. Fowler (68) missed an eagle putt at the par-5 18th that would have gotten him to the weekend and fell a shot shy, Rose (74) was 6 over and missed by three shots, while Mitchell (72) missed by five shots. “You can rack up some big numbers pretty quick,” Koepka said. Steele had a chance to take an even bigger lead into the weekend. The famed Bear Trap, PGA National’s stretch of holes 15-17, has never been overly kind to Steele — who was 26 over on those three holes in 31 rounds on that triumvirate before Friday. But his tee ball on the par-3 15th went around the back of the hole before lipping out and stopping inches shy of an ace, and he followed that up with another birdie on the par-3 17th. Thing was, the 16th and 18th got him. A bogey on the par-4 16th was the first miscue, and then his approach sailed over the green at the finishing hole to lead to another dropped shot. Still, the three-time winner on the PGA TOUR — the last of those coming when he went back-to-back at the Safeway Open in 2018 — left more than satisfied. “I think a course like this always suits me a little bit better,” Steele said. “I feel like I can make birdies on this course maybe more than other guys can, and I don’t necessarily feel that way a lot of weeks. … That gives me some confidence, and I definitely feel like harder is usually better for me.” Steele missed a chance for a victory in January in Hawaii, falling to Cameron Smith in a playoff after taking a three-stroke lead into the final round at the Sony Open. U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland put himself squarely in the mix with a 67 and thinks there’s a simple reason why tough courses like PGA National appeal to him. “I think it’s definitely mental,” Woodland said. “I probably focus a little bit more. You’ve got to hit shots out here. You’ve got to work the golf ball both ways. You’ve got to ride the wind. I love playing in the wind. But this golf course is as demanding as we see, so you’ve got to be ready from the get-go.” Woodland was tied for fifth at 3 under with Sepp Straka (67), Cameron Davis (67) and Nick Watney (66). Donald got into the mix as well, looking for his first win in the U.S. since 2012 and the first anywhere since 2013. Donald had the best round of the day at 66, tied with a pair of South Korean players — Byeong Hun An and Sungjae Im. “It’s probably been a little bit of a lean stretch,” Donald said. “But yeah, I feel like I’ve been making progress in the last four months with my swing and feeling more comfortable on the golf course.” Zach Johnson briefly got to 5 under, then posted consecutive bogeys — and hit real trouble on the par-4 11th. His second shot went into the water, ending up in a muddy spot just at the edge of some long grass. Johnson elected to play his third from there, trying to knock the ball skyward toward the green — but only managing to bury it further into the mud. Johnson had to retreat about 125 yards back up the fairway, played another approach and two-putted from 45 feet for a triple-bogey 7. Just like that, he went from tied for sixth and one shot back to tied for 23rd and four shots off the lead. He finished with a 75, going to 2 over for the week.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — All-Star forward Khris Middleton was a late scratch for the Milwaukee Bucks’ game against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to a sore neck.
Green averaged 9.8 points per game on a ridiculous 89.6 true shooting percentage.
The NBA still tests players for marijuana use and they can get suspended for multiple positive tests.
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – PGA National is one of the most stressful courses on the PGA TOUR. Penalty strokes can add up quickly on its water-lined holes. That’s why Lee Westwood’s new mindset is such an asset this week. Westwood is having fun while other players are fretting about double-bogeys. The former World No. 1 said the game has never been more enjoyable, and that’s a big reason why he’s enjoying a career renaissance at age 46. His good form is continuing this week. Westwood, who’s competing this week on a sponsor exemption, is tied for second place at The Honda Classic’s halfway mark after shooting 67-69 in the first two rounds. Only four players have parlayed sponsor exemptions into PGA TOUR victories in the past decade, but Westwood is looking to do it for a second time. Ten years ago, he won the FedEx St. Jude Classic after receiving an invitation into the field. Westwood isn’t a charity case, though. He’s back among the game’s elite after winning the European Tour’s event in Abu Dhabi earlier this year. Beating that star-studded field moved him back into the top 50 of the world ranking. He’s currently the world’s 30th-ranked player. “I’m not sure it’s ever been this enjoyable,â€� Westwood said. “You know, I’ve always almost treated it too seriously. It’s nice to go out there and not really care. I’ve been working quite hard with a psychologist, and he’s given me a different appreciation for golf and life, really.â€� It takes more than happy thoughts to succeed at The Honda Classic, though. Westwood’s strong ball-striking is perfectly suited for this week’s layout. He’s missed just six fairways this week, ranking in the top 10 in driving accuracy and Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee. A hot putter has helped, as well. He’s gained more than four strokes on the greens. Westood, who’s one behind 36-hole leader Brendan Steele, will play in Saturday’s second-to-last group with a countryman who’d like to experience a similar resurgence. In 2011, Luke Donald took the top spot in the world ranking from Westwood. Donald is now 456th in the ranking and had to use a career money list exemption to compete this season. He’s struggled with injuries in recent years, competing just 21 times in the previous two seasons. He’s had just one top-25 in that span. A 66 on Friday also has Donald at 4 under par, one behind Steele. Donald had three 2s on his scorecard, including birdies on both par-3s in the Bear Trap. ‘A back injury at 40 years old, you can lose a bit of momentum,â€� Donald said. “You know, just not being out there, getting the reps in with the competitive feelings, it takes some time to get that back. Obviously confidence breeds confidence, and you need to keep kind of plugging away and getting yourself into position to really help for future times you’re in position. “Lee has obviously proven that age is just a number. He’s been playing great lately. … Just seeing those guys continue to grind and continue to fight and do well, it’s nice to see and certainly it motivates me.â€�
Louisville tackle Mekhi Becton, the biggest player at this year’s NFL draft combine at 6-foot-7â…œ and 364 pounds, had Indianapolis buzzing after he ran the 40-yard dash in 5.10 seconds.
Louisville tackle Mekhi Becton, the biggest player at this year’s NFL draft combine at 6-foot-7â…œ and 364 pounds, had Indianapolis buzzing after he ran the 40-yard dash in 5.10 seconds.
