FRIDAY ON THE LINKS Pro golf roundup

pga

Peter Uihlein shoots 66, stays atop in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS

Peter Uihlein birdied five of the last seven holes for a 5-under 66 and a two-stroke lead Friday in the Shriners Hospitals For Children Open.

Uihlein got to 13-under 129 at TPC Summerlin, a day after opening with a 63. Robert Streb and Whee Kim were tied second, and Bryson DeChambeau, Abraham Ancer and Harold Varner were another stroke back.

Jordan Spieth had two late birdies in a 68 to get to 8 under in his season debut. Playing for the first time since the Ryder Cup, he making his first career start in a domestic fall event

Uihlein was even par for the round through 11 holes, making a bogey on the par-4 second and a birdie on the par-4 fourth. On the back nine, he birdied Nos. 12-14, 16 and 18.

Kim shot 65, DeChambeau, Streb and Ancer 66, and Varner 67.

european

Defending champ Rose ahead by 2 in Turkey

ANTALYA, Turkey

Defending champion Justin Rose has a two-shot lead halfway through the Turkish Airlines Open after consecutive 6-under-par 65s on Friday.

Another Englishman, Tom Lewis, posted the low score so far of 63 to share second with Danny Willett (65) and 2016 champion Thorbjorn Olesen (67).

A shot behind them at 9 under overall were Adrian Otaegui, who was still bogey free after a 65, Sam Horsfield of England (67), Li Haotong of China (67), and Alexander Levy of France (66).

During the day, there was a seven-way tie for the lead.

Lewis finished with the clubhouse lead after his bogey-free 63, one off Olesen’s course record, then was tied by Willett, who seeks his first title since the 2016 Masters.

Rose edged ahead with a brilliant approach shot into the 13th, then Olesen caught him when he birdied the 15th.

But then Olesen three-putted the last hole, and Rose took advantage on the same hole with an approach to 12 feet.

Rose could return to No. 1 with a win on Sunday. It would also mark the first time he’s successfully defended any title.

LPGA

So Yeon Ryu takes lead in Toto Japan Classic

SHIGA, Japan

So Yeon Ryu shot a 7-under 65 to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the Toto Japan Classic.

Nasa Hataoka of Japan and South Koreans Jiyai Shin and In-Kyung Kim were a stroke back after rounds of 66 on Friday. Ten other players were within three shots of the lead in the 54-hole tournament at the Seta Golf Club.

Ryu had five birdies on the last eight holes to underline her quick start.

Ryu credited a perfect golfing day, the crowds in Japan, and her putting for her round.

Mo Martin had a hole-in-one at No. 9, using a 5-wood on the 178-yard hole to finish with a 69, four shots off the lead.

“It landed just a couple feet short and it was just perfect,” Martin said. “The greens are really receptive, so it’s kind of coming in high into the wind, so it just landed perfectly and then just skipped in there. The green is just a little bit below where we are, so we had a perfect visual. So everybody saw it.”

The LPGA said the ace was the 26th of the season on the women’s tour.

The LPGA stop in Japan is the fourth of five consecutive tournaments across Asia.

Associated Press