Donaldson leads clubhouse in Dubai part way into 2nd round (Jan 26, 2018)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Welsh golfer Jamie Donaldson followed his opening 62 with a solid 3-under-par 69 to take the clubhouse lead in the weather-interrupted second round of the Dubai Desert Classic on Friday.

Tee times were delayed for nearly three hours because of thick fog. That led to none of the afternoon groups, including Rory McIlroy and defending champion Sergio Garcia, being able to finish their second round when darkness suspended play.

Donaldson was on 13-under 131 at the halfway stage, with Li Haotong second, one shot behind after a consecutive 66s.

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Branden Grace shot 65 to lie third in the clubhouse at 11 under.

Miguel Angel Jimenez showed at 54 he could still compete with the youngsters as he moved to 10 under with a 68. Thomas Aiken (67) was tied with Jimenez.

Among those still on the course, McIlroy was 10 under after 11 holes. Garcia and Henrik Stenson were 6- and 7-under par respectively playing alongside McIlroy.

Tom..

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This Predators fan flew all the way to Nashville…for a road game in New Jersey

The Predators—and Smashville Nation, in particular—have been one of the NHL's biggest modern success stories, but Preds fans? Well, let's just say they aren't the sharpest skates in the hockey shop. First you had this guy, who discovered in July that he had won tickets to the Predators' first-ever Stanley Cup Finals appearance in June, and now you have poor Sydney Sanders, who flew all the way to Nashville on Thursday for the Predators' game against the Devils…only to realize that it was, in fact, in Jersey. Oh, honey.
https://twitter.com/sydneysanders_/status/956636107084648449
Thankfully for Sydney—and sports fans everywhere who have pulled off something just as rock-brained and are currently scrambling to stamp out the memory—the Predators heard her story, and hooked her up with a bunch of swag as she wandered the empty concourses of Bridgestone Hockey Temple (on her birthday weekend, no less).
https://twitter.com/sydneysanders_/status/956652616565575690
R..

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De’Aaron Fox flies in for game-winning put-back dunk, Kings announcers lose their minds

De'Aaron Fox is destined to spend his entire NBA career being compared to Lonzo Ball. The two point guards both declared for the draft after one year of college basketball and Ball was taken three picks ahead of Fox despite getting badly outplayed by him in UCLA's Sweet 16 loss to Kentucky during last year's NCAA Tournament. And now Fox has beaten Ball at something else: Being the first to author a signature moment during their rookie seasons.
RELATED: Watch streetball legend Hot Sauce absolutely school Atlanta Hawks fans
On Thursday night, the lowly Sacramento Kings appeared headed for another loss when fellow rookie Bogdan Bogdanovic missed a jumper in the closing seconds of their game against the Miami Heat. But Fox came flying in for the rare — and spectacular — game-winning put-back dunk. Even better may have been the reaction of Kings announcers Grant Napear and Doug Christie, who deserved this after sitting through a brutal first half of the season. Check it out..

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Woods brings back big crowds, big cheers with a 72

SAN DIEGO (AP) Tiger Woods has been away from the PGA Tour too long to know for certain when a shot is as good as it looks.

This was a 6-iron on the par-3 16th hole on the South Course at Torrey Pines, from 188 yards to a slightly elevated green with a pin tucked behind a deep bunker. The sun was setting behind the Pacific late Thursday afternoon, and the glare made it tough to follow the flight of the ball.

”We can’t see anything land from back there, so we’re just listening for some noise,” Woods said. ”And people started cheering.”

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The ball rolled to the hole and broke a few inches in front of the cup for a tap-in birdie .

Woods brought big crowds back to golf in his latest return to the PGA Tour, and he even produced a few big roars.

There just weren’t enough cheers for his liking.

Playing for the first time since recovering from a fourth back surgery that cost him another year on the PGA Tour, Woods was mostly steady, sometimes spectacular ..

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Brooke Henderson leads LPGA opener in windy Bahamas

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) Brooke Henderson shot a bogey-free 5-under 68 in windy conditions Thursday to take the first-round lead in the season-opening Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic.

Henderson had four birdies in a seven-hole stretch and closed with three pars on the gusty Ocean Club layout. The 20-year-old Canadian has five LPGA Tour victories, winning last year in Michigan and New Zealand.

Australia’s Sarah Jane Smith finished with a bogey to drop into a tie for second with Spanish rookie Luna Sobron Galmes. Top-ranked Shanshan Feng birdied her last for a 70, matching Danielle Kang, Lindsey Weaver, Katherine Kirk, Jing Yan and Maria Torres, the tour’s first player from Puerto Rico. Kang played alongside Henderson and I.K. Kim.

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Lexi Thompson, a playoff loser to Brittany Lincicome last year, opened with a 72. Michelle Wie eagled the par-5 11th in a 73, and playing partners Lincicome and third-ranked So Yeon Ryu followed at 74.

Kim and Ariya Jut..

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The Latest: Birdie on 16th gets Woods back to even par

SAN DIEGO (AP) The Latest on Tiger Woods’ opening round Thursday at the Farmers Insurance Open (all times local):

3 p.m.

Tiger Woods came within six inches of a hole-in-one on the par-3 16th hole at Torrey Pines South in his PGA Tour season debut in the Farmers Insurance Open.

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It was by far the best shot of the day for Woods, who struggled with his putter and showed frustration on several holes.

His 189-yard iron shot on the 16th bounced on the green and then rolled just right of the cup. Woods hunched down to watch the shot, and the gallery cheered and then groaned when it saw how close he came to an ace.

The birdie got Woods back to even par.

—

2:20 p.m.

After reaching even par for the first time in the round, Tiger Woods had another adventuresome hole and was back to 1-over in the Farmers Insurance Open in his season debut on the PGA Tour.

Woods took his third bogey of the round on the par-5 13th at Torrey Pines South. He hit his tee sh..

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The Loop’s officially unlicensed XFL jersey name generator

On Thursday afternoon, as the Doomsday Clock coincidentally clicked to within two minutes of armageddon for the first time since 1953, Vince McMahon announced plans to revive the XFL's bloated rotting corpse, a business decision almost unthinkable just one presidential administration ago. Love it or loathe it, however, it's coming all the same, so we decided to ride the wave—which ex-XFL fans are probably still doing—and have a little fun. In that spirit, welcome to The Loop's Officially Unlicensed XFL Jersey Name Generator. You'll never match the genius of He Hate Me, but there's no harm in giving it the ol' community college try.
ONE WORD
Your favorite wrestler + your death row meal (no space)
EX: Rocklobster, Machomanmeatloaf
TWO WORDS
The first word of your favorite Quentin Tarantino movie + how Tom Brady makes you feel
EX: Django Horny, Hateful Hateful
THREE WORDS
Hair metal band + body part you wouldn't tattoo + medieval weapon
EX: Poison Pelvis..

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The Latest: Woods finishes opening round at even-par 72

SAN DIEGO (AP) The Latest on Tiger Woods’ opening round Thursday at the Farmers Insurance Open (all times local):

3:45 p.m.

Tiger Woods has finished his opening round at the Farmers Insurance Open at even-par 72 in his PGA Tour season debut.

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After showing plenty of frustration early in his round Thursday at Torrey Pines South, Woods seemed to find something in his final five holes.

That stretch included his best shot of the day, when he came within six inches of a hole-in-one on the par-3 16th.

His 189-yard iron shot bounced on the green and then rolled just right of the cup. Woods hunched down to watch the shot, and the gallery cheered and then groaned when it saw how close he came to an ace.

The birdie got Woods back to even par, and he closed his round with two pars.

Woods is returning after fusion surgery on his lower back last April, his fourth back operation in three years. When he tried to return after a 16-month break last year at Torr..

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The Latest: Woods takes 3rd bogey of round on par-5 13th

SAN DIEGO (AP) The Latest on Tiger Woods’ opening round Thursday at the Farmers Insurance Open (all times local):

2:20 p.m.

After reaching even par for the first time in the round, Tiger Woods had another adventuresome hole and was back to 1-over in the Farmers Insurance Open in his season debut on the PGA Tour.

Article continues below …

Woods took his third bogey of the round on the par-5 13th at Torrey Pines South. He hit his tee shot into the gallery, lowering his head and clinching up in frustration. He had a nice shot from near a cart path onto the fairway and then hit into a greenside bunker. After getting onto the green, his three-foot par putt lipped out.

He birdied No. 10 to reach even par and then had two straight pars before the 13th left him glum-faced.

Woods was 1-over at the turn after a front nine that saw him grimace, curse and swing an iron through the air in frustration.

Woods is returning after fusion surgery on his lower back last April, his fourth ba..

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The Latest: Woods 1-over after 3 holes at Farmers Insurance

SAN DIEGO (AP) The Latest on Tiger Woods’ opening round Thursday at the Farmers Insurance Open (all times EST):

2:30 p.m.

Tiger Woods is 1-over in his first three holes in the opening round of the Farmers Classic at Torrey Pines and already showing his frustration.

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He opened with bogey, par, par on the South Course. His tee shot on No. 1 went way left and his second shot landed in a greenside bunker. On No. 2, he overshot the green and grimaced. On the par-3 third hole, his birdie putt rolled to the right of the hole and he squatted down in frustration.

Woods is starting his season at a course that has been good to him over the years. He’s won this tournament seven times, and this course is where he had his dramatic U.S. Open win in 2008 and a Junior World Championship as a teenager.

He is returning after fusion surgery on his lower back last April, his fourth back operation in three years. When he tried to return after a 16-month break last year ..

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