ON THE LINKS | Friday’s professional golf results
DELL MATCH PLAY
AUSTIN, TEXAS
Rory McIlroy had to go 20 holes. Jason Day only played six. Both advanced Friday to the round of 16 in the Dell Match Play. Day was all square in his match when Paul Casey withdrew because of a stomach illness that has been bothering him the last two days. Day was likely to advance, anyway, but the short day at Austin Country Club at least allowed him extra rest for his back and for the weekend ahead. Day has played only 31 holes in three days. Phil Mickelson also had a short day and was headed home. Patrick Reed holed out for an eagle on No. 10 to go 7 up, and Mickelson did well to get to the 14th hole before Reed closed him out, 5 and 4. Reed has never trailed in any match all week. McIlroy, Chris Kirk and Byeong-Hun An all played plenty of golf. McIlroy was in one of the four winner-take-all matches between undefeated players in their groups, and it was struggle from the start against Kevin Na. McIlroy, the defending champion, didn’t take the lead until the 15th hole, gave it right back and both missed birdie putt on 18 to halve their match. It ended on No. 2, the second extra hole, when Na hooked his tee shot into a hazard and McIlroy holed a 6-foot putt for the win. He now has 10 straight matches dating to his victory last year at Harding Park in San Francisco.
PUERTO RICO OPEN
RIO GRANDE, PUERTO RICO
Rafael Campos held onto the lead in front of his home fans in the PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open, shooting a 1-under 71 in windy conditions Friday. The 27-year-old Campos had a 9-under 135 total at Coco Beach for a one-stroke lead. One of two players to play in all nine editions of the event, he opened with a 64 on Thursday. He’s the first Puerto Rican to lead a PGA Tour event since the 1979 Tallahassee Open, when Chi Chi Rodriguez was tied for the 54-hole lead and went on to win his eighth and final title. George McNeill, the 2012 winner, was second after a 71. Ian Poulter, playing the event after failing to qualify for the Match Play tournament in Texas, was tied for third at 7 under after a 66 — the best round of the day.
KIA CLASSIC
CARLSBAD, CALIF.
Jenny Shin took the lead Friday in the LPGA Tour’s Kia Classic, a stroke ahead of top-ranked Lydia Ko and Brittany Lang. Shin birdied five of her first eight holes and had a 7-under 65 to reach 10-under 134 at Aviara in the final event before the major ANA Inspiration next week in Rancho Mirage. The 23-year-old South Korean player is winless on the LPGA Tour. Ko shot a 67, and Lang had a 68. The 18-year-old Ko was second Sunday in Phoenix in the Founders Cup. Second-ranked Inbee Park and fellow South Korean player Hyo Joo Kim were 8 under. Park had a 69, and Kim shot a 66.
Associated Press