Australian Lindsey Wright, seeking her first LPGA title, fired a seven-under 64 on Saturday to share the lead with US veteran Cristie Kerr at the US$2.2 million Michelob Ultra Open.
Wright, coming off a fourth-place finish at the LPGA Kraft Nabisco in the first women’s major of the season, fired a bogey-free round to stand on 15-under par 198 after 54 holes at Kingsmill.
South Korea’s Kim In-kyung was third on 199, one stroke ahead of compatriot Kim Song-hee with world No. 1 Lorena Ochoa of Mexico and Americans Wendy Ward and Natalie Gulbis sharing fifth on 203.
Ochoa, who led by three when the day began in quest of her first Kingsmill crown, soared to a 74.
Taiwan’s Yani Tseng was tied for 13th on 207 and compatriot Teresa Lu was tied for 20th on 208.
■PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
REUTERS, PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA
Players Championship leader Alex Cejka of Germany made two bogeys in his opening nine holes as he slipped to 10 under par, while world No. 1 Tiger Woods started to move up the leaderboard.
Cejka birdied the fifth at TPC Sawgrass but then dropped shots at the seventh and ninth.
Britain’s Ian Poulter, who was in second place overnight, also bogeyed the ninth hole when he, like Cejka, missed a straightforward putt.
American Kevin Na was nine-under par after producing three birdies and a bogey on his opening nine.
Woods got himself in trouble on the 11th where he had to play left-handed out of the trees and made a bogey but he finished strongly with birdies on the 16th and 17th to leave himself just four shots off the lead.
■ITALIAN OPEN
AFP, TURIN, ITALY
Argentina’s Daniel Vancsik will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Italian Open. The 32-year-old goes into the final round 11 under par, one in front of Finland’s Roope Kakko.
Two behind in joint-third are Northern Ireland’s Gareth Maybin and South African Thomas Aiken.
BUMRAH WATCH: Captain Jasprit Bumrah left the SCG for scans for back spasms and although he returned to the ground, there was no word on if he would play Rishabh Pant’s blistering counterattack yesterday capped a chaotic second day of the fifth and final Test between Australia and India, with 15 wickets falling and the star bowler of the series leaving the Sydney Cricket Ground with an ambulance escort. Yet the Border-Gavaskar trophy still remains very much in the balance as India reached 141-6, holding a 145-run lead over Australia with three days remaining. “Low-scoring games like this, it just heightens the pressure within it, so long way still to go,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald said. “There’s gonna be plenty of cricket, so we’ll see what happens.” Australia were bowled out for
Elena Rybakina’s Kazakhstan yesterday dumped defending champions Germany out of the United Cup with world No. 2 Alexander Zverev sidelined by an arm injury barely a week away from the Australian Open. The upset in Perth sent the Kazakhs into the semi-finals of the 18-nation tournament. In Sydney, women’s world No. 2 Iga Swiatek led Poland into the last eight by winning a rematch of her 2023 French Open final against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic. Britain also progressed to the quarter-finals with Katie Boulter’s dominant 6-2, 6-1 victory over Australia’s Olivia Gadecki enough to guarantee they won their group. The US and
HAT-TRICK PREP: World No. 1 Sabalenka clinched her first win of the season, as she aims to become the first woman in 20 years to win three Australian Opens in succession Coco Gauff, Jasmine Paolini and Taylor Fritz yesterday all clocked impressive wins as tennis powerhouses Italy and the US surged into the quarter-finals of the mixed-team United Cup. World No. 3 Gauff swept past Croatia’s Donna Vekic 6-4, 6-2 to avenge a loss at the Paris Olympics, while Fritz took care of Borna Coric 6-3, 6-2 in searing Perth heat. That was enough to put the Americans — last year’s winners — into a last-eight clash with China today, while Elena Rybakina’s Kazakhstan today are to meet defending champions Germany, led by Alexander Zverev, in the other Perth quarter-final. In Sydney, the in-form
Five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek yesterday beat Elena Rybakina in straight sets to take Poland into the final of the mixed-teams United Cup with victory over Kazakhstan. Last year’s runners-up face the US today for the title in Sydney after they beat the Czech Republic in the other semi-final. “This win makes me really proud,” Swiatek said after seeing off Rybakina 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to give Poland an unassailable 2-0 lead in the tie. It was a statement of intent from the world number two with the first major of the year to start on Jan. 12. “It is perfect preparation for the
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