Jarvis birdies for lead
Pro Golf
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ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- Casey Jarvis of South Africa, already a two-time winner on the European tour this year, two-putted for birdie on his final hole at Kingsbarns for a 5-under 67 to take a one-shot lead Friday in the Dunhill Links Championship.
Rocco Repetto Taylor of Spain had a 64 at Kingsbarns and was among three players one shot behind, while defending champion Robert MacIntyre kept his cool under a gray sky in Fife for a 65 to get within three shots.
The top names -- Jarvis, MacIntyre, Brooks Koepka and Tyrrell Hatton -- move on to the Old Course at St. Andrews on Saturday before the 54-hole cut is made in the tournament that pairs pros with amateurs over Kingsbarns, St. Andrews and Carnoustie.
Jarvis, who won the Kenya Open and South African Open in consecutive weeks in February, was the final consideration for the International team at the Presidents Cup but was overlooked. His game had gone flat this summer, except for a top 10 at the British Open due to a closing 66.
"It's nice to be back, and I think this week can give me a bit of confidence toward the end of the season," Jarvis said. "I played two links courses in the past month (Irish Open and Nexo Championship at Aberdeen), and I haven't played particularly well. But I think the finish at The Open really helped. … I know I can compete when we do play links golf."
Jarvis was at 11-under 133. M.J. Daffue of South Africa (68 at St. Andrews) and Matthew Jordan of England (65 at Carnoustie) also were one shot behind.
MacIntyre, whom tournament officials reprimanded on Thursday for losing his temper at drone operators, gathered himself at Kingsbarns to get back in the mix.
PGA Tour
IVINS, Utah -- Austin Smotherman made 10 birdies Friday to match the lowest round of his PGA Tour career, a 9-under 62 on Friday that gave him a one-shot lead in a Bank of Utah Championship where making birdies is the only way to make up ground.
Kevin Roy opened with a pair of 63s and broke by five shots his best 36-hole score. In perfect conditions at the Black Desert Resort, that left him one shot behind Smotherman.
Smotherman, playing in his 100th PGA Tour event and still looking for his first victory, made all but two of his 10 birdies from inside 10 feet. His longest was a 20-footer on the par-3 17th, part of a birdie-birdie-birdie finish that gave his second 36-hole lead of the year at 17-under 125.
LPGA Tour
HONOLULU -- Second-ranked Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand made a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th for a 7-under 65 a share of the second-round lead Friday in the LPGA Tour's LOTTE Championship. Seeking her fourth LPGA Tour victory of the year, the 23-year-old Thitikul was bogey-free after 36 holes at Hoakalei Country Club.
Polly Mack of Germany also closed with a birdie on 18 to match Thitikul at 12-under 132. Carolina Melgrati of Italy and Ina Yoon of South Korea were a stroke back. Melgrati had a 65, and Yoon shot 67.