Ko cedes long run as world No. 1 to Jutanugarn

MEXICO CITY – Shubhankar Sharma’s fan experience has been excellent this week. The soft-spoken 21-year-old from India got a sweet up-close look at Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson on the driving range at Club de Golf Chapultepec. They were hitting balls right behind him! Oh, and Sharma has been seeing some really famous players in the hotel gym. “Some of them say hi to me,â€� Sharma said, “which is very nice.â€� The thing is, Sharma isn’t just a fan, and he isn’t just a player. He’s the solo leader. The youngest player in the field, and possibly the most wide-eyed, birdied the last three holes for a second-round 66 and a two-stroke lead at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship.    “I’m really happy,â€� he said. “It’s a total dream come true.â€� Xander Schauffele (68), Rafa Cabrera Bello (67) and Sergio Garcia (65) were two strokes back, with defending champion Dustin Johnson (66) looming amid a huge logjam at 7-under, four off the pace of the fast-rising superstar from India. A few months ago, Sharma said, he was watching the PGA TOUR coverage on TV back in India, after midnight. Now he’s the one everyone is watching. “Everything has happened so fast for me,â€� said Sharma, who eagled the 317-yard, par-4 first hole for the second straight day. “In the past four months, my life has totally changed.â€� As usual, Sharma was followed by his father, retired Col. Mohan Sharma, as he toured the hilly, tree-lined Chapultepec course. Mohan wore a pink shirt, but otherwise was a quiet presence in a decidedly quiet gallery. (Sharma played in one of only two twosomes.) Ever since Shubhankar turned pro at 16, his father has been close at his side, and lately the duo, and Sharma’s caddie, Gurbaaz Mann, have seen their lives take a dramatic turn for the better. Sharma won two European Tour-sanctioned events to take pole position in the Race to Dubai, and saw his ranking rise all the way to 75th. Now he’s got his sights set on taking it even higher and getting into the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play (top 66 or so) and the Masters (top 50).    “It’s impressive,â€� said Malaysia’s Gavin Kyle Green, Sharma’s playing partner. “He didn’t really miss many shots. It’s a perfect course for him. He hits it straight; doesn’t really move it much. “I really hope for the best for him,â€� added Green, who struggled with scores of 78-73 but kept up a conversation with the leader. “I’ve gotten to know him just playing in Asia and Europe the last couple years. He’s awesome. He’s super-chill. He’s fun to talk to, fun to play with.â€� That’s a common sentiment at Chapultepec; everyone, it seems, has fallen for Sharma. After he sat for a video shoot earlier this week, Sharma thanked the producer for making him feel at ease in his first big interview. On Friday, Sharma was toward the end of his media obligations when he was asked if he’s had any surreal moments this week. “Every day,â€� he said. Most surreal of all might be his first two scores of 65-66. “Really,â€� Sharma said, “I think I belong here and that I can be on the PGA TOUR, and that gives me a lot of faith and a lot of confidence going forward.â€� OBSERVATIONS SPIETH ENCOURAGED. Although he still wasn’t in top form on the greens (31 putts), Jordan Spieth went bogey-free and liked what he saw from tee to green during a 4-under 67. “I had three two-putt birdies, and a short-range birdie putt,â€� he said. “And then I had a lot of other looks, and that’s kind of what you need on this golf course. These greens get a little beat up on this poa annua surface; some go in and some don’t. I made a couple really good par saves that kept that bogey-free streak alive, but I’m going to need some more to fall to catch these leaders.â€� GARCIA LOVING CHAPULTEPEC. Making just his second PGA TOUR start this season, Sergio Garcia took 29 putts for the second straight day, eagled the par-5 11th hole, and shot one of just two 65s on the day. At 9-under, he’s two back going into the weekend. “Well, it’s the kind of golf course I like,â€� Garcia said. “You know, Valderrama is my favorite course, small greens. Sawgrass, one of my favorite golf courses, small greens. So, I do like these kinds of courses better, and when it gets a bit firmer like it’s getting, and a bit more challenging, I do feel, even though it’s not easy, a bit more comfortable.â€� Garcia finished T12 here a year ago. DJ LURKS 4 BACK. Dustin Johnson, the defending WGC-Mexico champion, holed his approach shot for eagle at the ninth hole and got himself right back into the tournament with a second-round 66. “It was much better today,â€� said Johnson, who hit 15 of 18 greens. “I hit the ball well, drove it well. I felt like I rolled it good, just didn’t make any putts today.â€� Johnson took 28 putts and ranked 49th of 64 players in strokes gained: putting. “Got a lot of confidence going into the weekend with the way I struck it today,â€� he said. NOTABLES XANDER SCHAUFFELE – He is the only player left not to make a bogey, and a 3-under 68 has him just two back and primed to chase down his third TOUR victory. The 24-year-old from San Diego hit 11 of 18 greens, but ranked T1 in scrambling. LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN – Making just his second TOUR start this season, the first-round leader spun his wheels with an even-par 71, joining a logjam of players four back. Best shot of the day might have been his 15-foot putt to save bogey at the 215-yard, par-3 13th hole. RAFA CABRERA BELLO – Birdied four of his first six holes and erased a few mistakes with eagle at the par-5 15th. Two back, but ranks first in strokes gained: putting through two rounds. BUBBA WATSON – After his disastrous finish in the first round, he shot a second-round 66 to get to 7-under for the tournament, which was where he was through his first 11 holes Thursday.  PHIL MICKELSON – A fourth straight top-10 finish is well within reach after a 68 put him at 5-under, just six back. Made a classic Mickelson par at 18 after hitting his second shot into the stands and taking a drop near the practice green. CHRIS PAISLEY – The most surprising name on the leaderboard in round one, England’s Paisley fell back with a 75 and goes into the weekend nine off the lead. We were in the room doing a bunch of homework. When I say we, it was Teddy doing a bunch of homework.I tried to make a lot of bogeys today, but somehow snuck those pars in. SUPERLATIVES Low round: 6-under 65 by Sergio Garcia and Kyle Stanley. Longest drive: 416 yds (Brendan Steele/No. 4) Longest putt: 36′ 6″ (Adam Hadwin/No. 13) Toughest hole: Par-3 7th (3.250) CALL OF THE DAY SHOT OF THE DAY BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two years after Max Homa played only one Sunday in an entire PGA TOUR season, he showed his mettle at Quail Hollow by closing with a 4-under 67 to pull away from the field and win the Wells Fargo Championship. Homa began the back nine with two birdies to build a four-shot lead and didn’t make any mistakes until it only affected the final margin. Joel Dahmen saved par with a tough chip over the creek for a 70 and finished three shots behind. Homa, who won the NCAA title at Cal in 2013, won for the first time in his 68th start as a pro. The victory gets him into the PGA Championship in two weeks at Bethpage Black and the Masters next April. But what a turnaround for the 28-year-old Californian. Homa was at No. 829 in the world when he got his third crack at the PGA TOUR in October. Two seasons ago, he made only two cuts in 17 tournaments, missing the 54-hole cut in one of them and finishing last at an opposite-field event in the other. But he made six of seven cuts coming into Quail Hollow, and played like he belonged. “Confidence takes a lot of anxiety away,” he said Saturday night as he prepared to play in the final group for the first time. Homa never flinched, effectively sealing it with a long shot up the hill and onto the green at the par-5 15th for a two-putt birdie, saving par to keep a three-shot lead going to the final hole and drilling his tee shot down the fairway. He wrapped it up with a 10-foot par putt to finish at 15-under 269. “Over the moon, man,” he said before going to sign his card. “It means a lot to do it under pressure, and job security is great. I haven’t had that.” The victory was worth $1,422,000 — about $454,000 more than he had made in his previous 67 starts — and gives him a two-year exemption, along with a tee time at Bethpage Black in two weeks. The only other major Homa played was the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion, a month after his NCAA title. Dahmen held his own until costly bogeys around the turn. But that chip was on the 18th for par to finish alone in second meant a difference of $158,000. “I didn’t beat myself today, which was kind of the goal,” Dahmen said. “Max is playing awesome. He’s a good friend. I think we’re going to celebrate tonight.” Justin Rose (68) finished alone in third and moved ahead of Brooks Koepka to No. 2 in the world. Rory McIlroy was primed to join Tom Weiskopf as the only three-time winners at Quail Hollow, starting the final round two shots behind. He never got anything going until it went the wrong way. He turned a 20-foot eagle attempt into a three-putt par on the par-5 seventh, failed to get up-and-down on the reachable eighth for a birdie, and then went bogey-double bogey around the turn to take himself out of the mix. No one else was much of a threat either, just two guys who had never come remotely close to winning on the PGA TOUR. Former PGA champion Jason Dufner, part of the three-way tie for the lead to start the final round, made consecutive bogeys early and had no bearing on the final round. A double bogey on the 18th gave him a 73 and dropped him into a tie for fourth. Rose pulled within two shots with a birdie on the par-5 10th, only to settle into a series of pars. By the time Sergio Garcia reached double digits under par, Homa was well on his way. Homa and Dahmen were at 13 under until Dahmen blinked first. He found a fairway bunker on No. 9, couldn’t get to the green and made bogey, and then missed a 12-foot birdie chance on the 10th. Homa, playing behind him in the final group, holed a 15-foot birdie putt on the 10th for a two-shot lead, made birdie from the left rough on the 11th with a 12-foot putt and escaped more trouble off the tee on the 12th with a two-putt from 80 feet. “Well done,” his caddie, Joe Greiner, told him when he hit a solid 6-footer to complete the par. After a one-hour delay from storms, Homa returned to hole a 6-foot par putt on the 14th and was steady down the stretch, just as he had been all day. Homa became the fifth player to make Quail Hollow his first PGA TOUR victory, joining Anthony Kim (2008), McIlroy (2010), Rickie Fowler (2012) and Derek Ernst (2013).

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Trending PGA TOUR and Korn Ferry Tour players will be able to play their way into the field at the 120th U.S. Open at Winged Foot, Sept. 17-20, the United States Golf Association announced Thursday. Not only will top-five finishers in the FedExCup earn spots for Winged Foot, so, too, will the top finishers at select TOUR events this summer. There will be 10 spots for Korn Ferry Tour members, too. Oh, and Phil Mickelson, whose tie for second at the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot was perhaps the most agonizing moment of his career, will also be there. The coronavirus pandemic led to the sweeping changes to this year’s qualification criteria. The USGA had previously announced the field will include 144 and not 156 players, for reasons of daylight, and will be made up of entirely exempt players – no more local and sectional qualifiers. Mostly the USGA will use the Official World Golf Ranking – top 70 and ties as of March 15, when the rankings froze for the pandemic, instead of the usual top 60. At the time, perennial U.S. Open bridesmaid Mickelson was ranked 61st. He had previously said he didn’t want to be given a special exemption, but now he’s in with the rules change. Mickelson needs a U.S. Open win to complete the career slam. “That worked out great, to be able to know that I have a chance to go back to Winged Foot and give it another shot,” Mickelson said Thursday after his 6-under 64 in the opening round at the Travelers Championship. “But I’ve had 30 U.S. Opens. I’ve had plenty of opportunities, and so if I don’t qualify, I want somebody else who deserves a spot, too, to play. As long as I’m playing well enough to compete to earn my way into the field, then I want to play and keep trying to win that tournament.” In addition to Mickelson, other PGA TOUR members now with U.S. Open invites who weren’t previously in the field include Andrew Putnam, Keegan Bradley and Joel Dahmen. The USGA will also invite the hottest players on various tours, which will thicken the already substantial plot for PGA TOUR players. The top two players, not otherwise exempt, in the top 10 and ties of The Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, 3M Open, World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, Barracuda Championship and Wyndham Championship will earn spots in the field at the U.S. Open. The top three not otherwise exempt in the top 10 and ties of the 2020 PGA Championship will make it to Mamaroneck, New York. And in another twist, so will the top five on the Korn Ferry Tour regular season points list, plus the top five in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. “This is a wonderful opportunity for our top players to showcase the level of talent that exists week in and week out on the Korn Ferry Tour,” said Korn Ferry Tour President Alex Baldwin. “We are excited to know that 10 of our up-and-coming stars will compete in the U.S. Open.” John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s senior managing director of championships, said, “The exemption categories for this year’s championship at Winged Foot Golf Club were carefully developed to mirror a representative U.S. Open field, and we are excited that players will still have an opportunity to earn a place in the field through a variety of categories.” The 2019 Order of Merit for the Japan Golf Tour, Sunshine Tour, Asian Tour and Australasia Tour will help to round out the field of 144 players, as will the World Amateur Golf Ranking, from which the top seven point leaders who are not otherwise exempt as of Aug. 19 will be added to the six amateurs who are currently exempt. Exemptions for finishes in recent USGA championships, including the U.S. Amateur, U.S. Mid-Amateur, U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Senior Open, will remain unchanged, as will exemptions for winners of THE PLAYERS Championship, Masters, Open Championship, PGA Championship, T and BMW PGA Championship. Remaining spots in the championship will be filled using the OWGR, as of Aug. 23. Winged Foot Golf Club is hosting its sixth U.S. Open and 13th USGA championship. The course was the site of Geoff Ogilvy’s tense one-stroke victory over Jim Furyk, Colin Montgomerie and Mickelson in 2006. Mickelson double-bogeyed the 72nd hole to lose. Mickelson, who ranks 188th in driving accuracy this season, said, “A U.S. Open is going to be more difficult for me now than it probably was because I drive it the way I drive it, and so that week in 2006 my short game was the best it’s been in my career, and I got up-and-down from everywhere. I know that I’ll have to do the same and hopefully drive it better.” Besides Ogilvy, other U.S. Open champions at Winged Foot include: Bobby Jones (1929), Billy Casper (1959), Hale Irwin (1974) and Fuzzy Zoeller (1984).

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