Slattery leads Molinari and Olesen at Italian Open

BRESCIA, Italy (AP) Lee Slattery of England shot a 9-under 62 Saturday to take a one-stroke lead entering the final round of the Italian Open.

Seeking his first victory since the 2015 Russian Open, Slattery produced eight birdies, an eagle and a single bogey to move just ahead of home favorite Francesco Molinari and Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark.

Molinari is coming off the biggest win of his career at the BMW PGA Championship – where Slattery missed the cut.

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”Coming off the back of 77 and 79 at Wentworth last week I never really expected this,” Slattery said. ”But it proves once again to all golfers out there that you’re never that far away.”

Molinari extended his run of holes without a bogey to 85 before dropping a shot on the sixth.

Danny Willett, the 2016 Masters champion, and former No. 1 Martin Kaymer, were two strokes off the lead at Gardagolf Country Club.

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Column: Shoal Creek still landmark for sports civil rights

After finishing her round at Shoal Creek, Brittany Lincicome got a little history lesson.

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Not so long ago, the ritzy club hosting this week’s U.S. Women’s Open saw nothing wrong with allowing only white, gentile men to join its membership rolls. Not so long ago, this lush spot nestled among the rolling hills southeast of Birmingham, Alabama, was a lightning rod in the struggle for civil rights in sports.

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”Oh my God, I can’t believe that was still in 1990,” Lincicome said. ”I mean, it doesn’t feel like it was that long ago for that to still be happening.”

Indeed, it’s hard to fathom that less than three decades is all one needs to return to a time when it was still acceptable to host a major golf tournament while clinging to exclusionary membership policies based on race, sex or religion.

But the 1990 PGA Championship at Shoal Creek helped to change all that, forcing the PGA Tour, PGA of America and other gover..

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Dramatic eagle helps keep Woods in weekend mix at Memorial

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) Tiger worked his way into contention at the Memorial, despite his putter letting him down.

He energized the crowd, too, with a brilliant eagle on the par-5 11th at Muirfield Village, a place where he’s won five times.

Woods’ wedge shot from 97 yards out hit past the hole before spinning backward and rolling in. He raised his arms in triumph, pitched his club to the caddy and acknowledged the roar from the gallery.

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He carded a 67 for the day, but it should have been better.

”I missed a lot of short putts, which is, you know, something I don’t normally do, which is just frustrating,” he said.

Woods was at 5-under, six shots behind co-leaders Kyle Stanley and Joaquin Niemann.

He was concerned about his repaired back, after tightness affected his game in the opening round. Despite a 90-weather delay after he eagled the 11th, he finished feeling fine.

”It’s weird to say, but this is my first delay this year,” he said. ”Coming back out of..

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Chilean teenager shares lead at Memorial

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) Joaquin Niemann could figure out where Tiger Woods was on the golf course from the mass of people following him a few groups ahead, and he had a pretty good idea what he was doing from all the noise, at least before Woods put a putter in his hands.

”There was so many people,” Niemann said.

The few that stuck behind for the 19-year-old Chilean saw another good show.

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In his fifth start as a pro, Niemann finished with two birdies over his last three holes for a 4-under 68 and a share of the lead with Kyle Stanley, who had a 66. He finished with an 8-foot birdie on the 18th hole.

Woods made Muirfield Village sound like a rock concert until storms arrived. He holed out with a sand wedge from 97 yards for eagle on the par-5 11th hole, and then his tee shot on the par-3 12th struck the flag waving in the wind and settled 6 feet behind the hole.

And then he sat out a weather delay that lasted just under 90 minutes, and he missed four putts un..

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Column: Shoal Creek still landmark for sporting civil rights

After finishing up her round at Shoal Creek, Brittany Lincicome got a little history lesson.

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Not so long ago, the ritzy club hosting this week’s U.S. Women’s Open saw nothing wrong with allowing only white, gentile men to join its membership rolls. Not so long ago, this lush spot nestled among the rolling hills southeast of Birmingham, Alabama was a lightning rod in the struggle for civil rights in sports.

Article continues below …

”Oh my God, I can’t believe that was still in 1990,” Lincicome said. ”I mean, it doesn’t feel like it was that long ago for that to still be happening.”

Indeed, it’s hard to fathom that less than three decades is all one needs to return to a time when it was still acceptable to host a major golf tournament while clinging to exclusionary membership policies based on race, sex or religion.

But the 1990 PGA Championship at Shoal Creek helped to change all that, forcing the PGA Tour, PGA of America and other gov..

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Australian Smith stages another 67 at US Women’s Open

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) Sarah Jane Smith has extended her lead at the U.S. Women’s Open.

The Australian shot a second straight 5-under 67 Friday at Shoal Creek, getting in her round before a lengthy weather delay.

Smith opened the day in a three-way tie atop the leaderboard with Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn and Korean Jeongeun Lee. She’s at 10-under 134 heading into the weekend after failing to make the cut in five of her previous six U.S. Women’s Open tries.

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Jutanugarn was at 6 under overall after four holes when play was halted. Lee fell back to 2 under with a second-day 75. Korean-born Su-Hyun Oh shot 68 and is also 6 under.

Smith has staged a strong comeback after missing the cut in five straight LPGA Tour events this year. She’s got husband Duane on the bag as her longtime caddie.

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LPGA’s Brittany Lincicome set to play in PGA Tour event

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) Brittany Lincicome is set to join the club of female professionals playing in a PGA Tour event.

Lincicome said Friday at the U.S. Women’s Open that she was asked to play in the Barbasol Championship in Kentucky July 19-22.

Her exemption for the event was first reported by Golf Digest.

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She says Tom Murray, president and CEO of the company that owns the Barbasol and Pure Silk brands, reached out to her a couple of weeks ago.

Lincicome says it’s something she’s always wanted to do, but that it’s not about ”trying to compare yourself to the men.”

Other female professionals who have played in a PGA Tour event include Michelle Wie, Babe Zaharias, Annika Sorenstam and Suzy Whaley.

The 32-year-old Lincicome is an eight-time winner on the LPGA Tour.

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