PHOENIX -- Mirim Lee is just getting started on the LPGA Tour -- and isnt taking baby steps.
Fake Diamondbacks Jerseys . Neither is 16-year-old Lydia Ko. Lee shot a 5-under 67 on Friday in the JTBC Founders Cup to take a two-stroke lead over Ko into the weekend. The 23-year-old South Korean played the final eight holes in 5 under, making an eagle and three birdies to reach 13-under 131 at Desert Ridges Wildfire Golf Club. "I played a little boring on the front nine, so I went more aggressive on the back nine and it worked well," Lee said. "So, now I plan on being aggressive the rest of the week." Ko, the Canadian Womens Open winner as an amateur the last two years, shot 66. The first-year pro played a late six-hole stretch in 6 under with an eagle and four birdies. "I just gave myself more opportunities on the back nine," Ko said. Lee is making her third start in her rookie season on the LPGA Tour after winning three times on the Korean LPGA. In her first two events, she tied for 33rd in the Bahamas and tied for 25th in the Womens Australian Open. "I feel more comfortable because here the fairways are bigger," Lee said. "My driver shots play better here." She holed a 35-foot birdie putt on the par-4 13th, saved par on the par-3 14th with a 20-footer, and hit a hybrid from 220 yards to 12 feet to set up the eagle on the par-5 15th. "All this week, hybrids have not worked for me, so I felt very fortunate," Lee said. She also birdied the par-4 18th, hitting a 9-iron to 2 feet. Born in South Korea and raised in New Zealand, Ko won the Swinging Skirts World Ladies Masters in December in Thailand in her second start after turning pro in October. She has five victories in professional events, also winning in Australia and New Zealand. Ko began her back-nine run with birdies on Nos. 12 and 13, eagled the 15th and birdied Nos. 16 and 17. After going hungry on the course in the first round, she stocked up Friday. "I had a protein bar and like a protein jelly and theres always a peanut butter sandwich in there," Ko said. "I actually noticed that it was in my bag yesterday, but I didnt find it, so it was actually more done." Sun Young Yoo was third at 10 under after a bogey-free 65, matching the best round of the day. The 2012 Kraft Nabisco winner played the back nine in 5-under 31. "I was more patient today," Yoo said. "Overall, everything was working very well." Top-ranked Inbee Park was 9 under along with Bahamas winner Jessica Korda, Chella Choi and So Yeon Ryu. Park, playing alongside Ko and Korda, also eagled No. 15 in her 69. "I left a lot of putts out there," Park said. Korda and Choi shot 66, and Ryu had a 67. Michelle Wie topped the group at 8 under, following her opening 66 with a 70. She had four straight birdies in the middle of the round to take the lead at 10 under, then bogeyed the par-5 fifth -- her 14th hole of the day -- after hitting over the green from a greenside bunker. "I thought I hit a really good bunker shot and I flew it 15 yards past the green," Wie said. "So, that was a good one. ... It went over everyones head." She also dropped a stroke on the par-4 ninth. "All day today I just felt like I could have shot a lot more under par," Wie said. Defending champion Stacy Lewis, 2011 winner Karrie Webb, and Morgan Pressel were 7 under. Lewis and Webb shot 71, and Pressel followed her opening 65 with a 72. After playing the first 11 holes Thursday in 9 under, Pressel was 2 over on the next 25. DIVOTS: Yani Tseng, the 2012 winner, missed the cut with rounds of 71 and 74. The 15-time tour champion is winless in 46 events since the 2012 Kia Classic, a week after her Founders Cup victory. She has dropped from first to 45th in the world in a year. ... Cheyenne Woods, Tiger Woods niece, also failed to advance in her hometown event, shooting 71-73. She won the LETs Australian Ladies Masters last month.
Stefan Crichton Jersey .J. -- Jaromir Jagr has hit so many NHL milestones this season for the New Jersey Devils that he is starting to downplay them.
Corbin Martin Jersey .com) - Devin Booker scored 19 points and top-ranked Kentucky put on a defensive clinic in an 83-44 obliteration of UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic.Roy "Big Country" Nelson let the UFC know he is very much an active participant in the heavyweight division with a first-round knockout of Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira at UFC Fight Night 39 in Abu Dhabi on Friday. The question is, where does he fit in the division? Is he a title contender or another face in the crowd? "I always want to fight for the belt, I dont really care," Nelson said after the fight. "Let me just start right there. Ill work my way backwards." "Dream opponent is always whoever has the belt, so that would be Cain Velasquez." Current UFC rankings have the former Ultimate Fighter winner ranked No. 8, well out of reach of champion Velasquez. The division is also loaded with top-end talent chomping at the bit for a title shot, including former champion Junior dos Santos followed closely by Fabricio Werdum and Travis Browne, who will square off in a title eliminator match at UFC on FOX 11 on April 19 in Orlando, Florida. Dos Santos will fight the seventh-ranked heavyweightt Stipe Miocic at UFC Fight Night Brazil on May 31.
Arizona Diamondbacks Shirts. . The winner of either of those fights will be under heavy consideration for the next crack at Velasquez, who is recovering from shoulder surgery and not expected back until the fall. But Nelson (21-9) is the enigma of the division. Each of his seven wins in the UFC have been by knockout and he has been awarded performance of the night once, fight of the night once and knockout of the night four times. However, he has no wins and four losses against current top-10 heavyweights - dos Santos, Werdum, Miocic and Frank Mir - and has never put together more than three consecutive wins in 12 UFC contests. "Every time I fight I always try to make a statement," he said at the post-fight press conference after defeating Nogueira. "I try to give the fans what they want to see." His entertainment value is not in question - neither is his right hook - but does Nelson belong in the mix atop a very deep division? Time will tell but, as always, its Your! Call. ' ' '