ON THE LINKS Friday’s pro golf

PGA

Stallings-Mullinax ahead at Zurich Classic

AVONDALE, La.

Scott Stallings and Trey Mullinax shot a best-ball 11-under 61 to top the Zurich Classic leaderboard after a weather delay longer than seven hours prevented half of the 80 teams from even teeing off Thursday.

Stallings and Mullinax, who started on the back nine, birdied their last four holes at the TPC Louisiana — and seven of nine holes after the turn — for a one-stroke lead over two teams.

Martin Laird and Nick Taylor, who were in the same group as the leaders, finished at 10 under. But the team of Brian Gay and Rory Sabbatini had both of the top teams in their sights after birdies on the first five holes of the back nine got them to 10 under through 14 holes.

All but 13 teams still had part or all of the first round still to play when darkness stopped play. Seventeen teams were within five shots of the lead.

The Zurich Classic is the only team even on the PGA Tour, and the format alternates between best ball in the first and third rounds and alternate shot in the second and final rounds.

Warren JFK graduate Jason Kokrak and Chris Stroud were unable to start their first round due to the weather. The group will begin its first round of play at 8:33 a.m. today.

Woods hopes major win leads to more

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.

Tiger Woods hopes winning the Masters to end 11 years without a major will lead to more majors in his pursuit of the record held by Jack Nicklaus.

But in an interview with GOLFTV, Woods says catching Nicklaus won’t be easy.

Woods says he needs everything to fall into place to win a major, and it’s only happened for him 15 times in 23 years. But he says he’s excited to at least have the opportunity after so many health issues. And he promises that he’ll be prepared for each chance.

Next up is the PGA Championship, which starts in three weeks. Woods says he has been trying to let his victory at Augusta National sink in, and that he hasn’t even started preparing for the next major.

LPGA

Lewis shares lead at Los Angeles Open

LOS ANGELES

Worn out after two long nights with infant daughter Chesnee, Stacy Lewis shot a 6-under 65 on Thursday for a share of the lead with Hannah Green halfway through the first round of the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open.

The 34-year-old Texan is making her sixth LPGA Tour start since Chesnee’s birth in late October. She birdied four of her last six holes in the bogey-free round at Wilshire Country Club.

Green also had a bogey-free round. Fellow Australian Minjee Lee was a stroke back.

Brooke Henderson, the Canadian who won the Lotte Championship last week in Hawaii, was at 68 with Inbee Park, Shanshan Feng, Lizette Salas, Angel Yin, Isi Gabsa, Sarah Jane Smith, Jing Yan and Jasmine Suwannapura.

Lewis played alongside Inbee Park and Sung Hyun Park.

Top-ranked Jin Young Ko had a 70 in the afternoon, playing alongside Henderson and third-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn. Ko is the only player with multiple victories this year, taking the Founders Cup in Phoenix and the major ANA Inspiration in Rancho Mirage.

Jutanugarn opened with a 73. Defending champion Moriya Jutanugarn, Ariya’s older sister, had a 71.

Nelly Korda shot a 73 in the afternoon. Sister Jessica Korda had a 74 in the morning, playing a four-hole stretch in 5 over with three straight bogeys and a double bogey.

Sixth-ranked Lexi Thompson also struggled in the morning, shooting 75. She was 5 over in a five-span, also making three bogeys and a double bogey.

Associated Press