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Canada’s Taylor leads PGA Tour in Las Vegas
LOS ANGELES, Oct 4, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Nick Taylor fired a sparkling eight-
under par 63 on Friday to take a one-shot lead over Brian Harman in the US
PGA Tour event in Las Vegas, where five-time major winner Phil Mickelson was
in the mix.
Canada’s Taylor found 14 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in regulation.
He didn’t miss a putt from within 10 feet, rolling in six birdies and an
eagle at the par-five 15th on the par-71 TPC Summerlin course.
“It’s going to be hard to top today’s round tomorrow,” admitted Taylor, who
drove the green on the 325-yard 15th and rolled in a five-foot eagle putt.
Taylor came into the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open off a tie for
10th in Napa, California, last week.
He said the results have been building over the past year.
“Not much I’m not comfortable with right now, which is always a good
thing,” said Taylor, who was once the top-ranked amateur in the world.
“If I hit it on the greens, I’ve been able to manage pars, capitalize on
birdies, so overall (it’s) been relatively easy.”
Harman also made things look simple, nabbing seven birdies in a seven-under
par 64 to stand alone in second.
American Maverick McNealy had joined Taylor at eight-under through 16
holes, but he closed with back-to-back bogeys.
McNealy found the water at the par-three 17th and three-putted 18 from 42
feet — missing a six-footer for par — to fall into a group of five players
sharing third on 65.
– Mickelson ‘excited’ –
That bunch also included Mickelson, who shook off an opening bogey at the
10th hole to post seven birdies in his six-under effort.
“After the bogey on the first hole, I played some really good golf,”
Mickelson said. “I kept the ball in play and hit a lot of fairways. Right
now, my iron play is really good, and so if I continue to give myself chances
from the fairways I’m going to hit it close enough to make birdies.”
Mickelson, 49, said he was finally feeling the benefits of a renewed focus
on a healthy lifestyle.
He said he’d shed some weight thanks to improved diet and a workout
regimen. The results hadn’t shown much when he missed the cut last week in
Napa.
But his 65 on Thursday matched the best round he’d posted since his win at
the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am last February — a victory that was followed by
months of disappointing results.
“Excited to play some good golf again,” Mickelson added.
A dozen players were tied on five-under 66, a group that featured
Australian Adam Scott and American Chase Koepka, younger brother of world
number one Brooks Koepka.
Brooks Koepka, making his first start of the 2019-2020 season, looked a
little rusty in carding a one-under par 70 that included five birdies and
four bogeys.
Koepka revealed this week that he had stem cell injection therapy on his
left knee in September to treat a partially torn patella tendon.
The American, who won a second straight PGA Championship in 2019, also
shared second at the Masters behind Woods and was second at the US Open
behind Gary Woodland. He was equal fourth at the British Open — and said
with knee pain behind him he is primed for even better things this season.
“I can finally practice again, which is nice, without pain,” he said.
BSS/AFP/GMR/0830 hrs