PACIFIC PALISADES, California — Colombia’s Camilo Villegas rebounded from missed cuts in his last four PGA Tour starts to seize a three-shot lead at the Northern Trust Open Thursday, while world No. 1 Jordan Spieth made a terrible start.
Villegas soared to the top of the leaderboard with an eight-under-par 63 at Riviera Country Club as Spieth spluttered to a 79 that included eight bogeys and a double on his final hole.
“I’ve shot in the 80s a couple times on Tour,” Spieth told reporters after carding his worst opening round on the PGA Tour. “In the course of a career, I imagine it’s going to happen. Just unfortunate when it actually does.”
The Masters and US Open winner said he had struggled adapting to a Riviera layout that had run firm and fast earlier in the week before being softened by overnight rain.
While Spieth sunk like a stone to near the bottom of the leaderboard, Villegas seized control with a storming back nine highlighted by four consecutive birdies before he ran up his only bogey of the day on his final hole.
The Colombian’s nine-birdie round left him three strokes clear of 2014 champion Bubba Watson, Chez Reavie and Luke List.
World No. 3 Rory McIlroy, making his first PGA Tour start of the year, was a further stroke back with six other players after opening with a 67.
Play was suspended for the day in fading light with 14 players still out on the course, South African Tyrone Van Aswegen the best placed at four under with two holes to complete.
Two share lead
Holly Clyburn shot a 7-under 65 Friday to take a share of the second-round lead with fellow British golfer Catriona Matthew at the Women’s Australian Open.
Clyburn and 1996 champion Matthew (69) had 36-hole totals of 8-under 136 on The Grange’s West course.
They held a one-stroke lead over four players — Germany’s Caroline Masson, who shot 71, China’s Lin Xiyu (67), South Korea’s Jenny Shin (70) and Haru Nomura of Japan (68).
Another stroke back at 6-under after a 71 and alone in seventh place was five-time champion Karrie Webb. She had a 67 Thursday.
Canadian-based South Korean Kim Soo-bin, the first-round leader who shot a course-record 63 Thursday, bogeyed five of her final seven holes Friday for a 77 and fell to 4-under, tied in a group four behind the leaders.
Top-ranked and defending champion Lydia Ko had a second consecutive 70 and was also at 4-under.
Canadian Brooke Henderson shot 71 Friday and was at 3-under, five strokes behind. There were 20 golfers within four shots of the lead.
Cheyenne Woods had a 78 and was at 4-over and missed the cut, as did former champion Laura Davies after a 76 to finish at 10-under.
Holman stays in front
Unheralded Nathan Holman of Australia used flawless putting down the stretch to widen his lead to two strokes at the midway point of the Maybank Championship Malaysia Friday.
The strapping 24-year-old manhandled the tree-lined fairways of the par-71 Royal Selangor Golf Club for a second straight day. His six-under-par 65 followed an opening 64 and took him to 13-under for the tournament.
Earlier in the day, England’s world No. 13 Danny Willett had caught Holman on the leaderboard at eight-under.
Holman is now two strokes ahead of England’s Richard Bland and five shots clear of a group of four golfers led by Willett.
Those failing to make the cut for the weekend included two-time Major winner and former world number one Martin Kaymer of Germany. — Agencies
