Kennedy makes Puerto Rico cut on PGA Tour debut

Royal Dublin’s Max Kennedy notched a significant milestone in his career when he carded a one-under 71 to make the cut on his PGA Tour debut in the Puerto Rico Open.

Played opposite the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, the $4m event offers the winner a $720,000 payday and a tour card, and Kennedy kept his hopes alive as he made the weekend with a shot to spare.

The former University of Louisville star (23), who will play mainly on Europe’s second-tier HotelPlanner Tour this year, goes into the weekend tied for 52nd, nine shots behind Dane Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, who topped the HotelPlanner Tour Rankings last year.

Kennedy followed birdies at the 14th and 15th with bogeys at the 16th, 17th and second holes at Grand Reserve Golf Club to slip to four under for the tournament.

But he rallied with birdies at the third and seventh to shoot 71 and make the five-under-par cut with a shot to spare.

Neergaard-Petersen, a potential Ryder Cup debutant this year, went bogey-free for the second day running, adding a 65 to his opening 64 to lead by a shot from Davis Riley on 15-under.

Ranked 88th in the world, the Dane received a commissioner's exemption for international players into the event. 

“Once I get into the round and kind of get a couple holes in, it just kind of feels like any other day on the golf course, really,” said the Dane (25), who was second in his previous start in the Qatar Masters.

“I’m just trying to stay in the present.”

Riley was a shot behind after a 66 with Austin Cook a shot further back on 13-under.

At the Blue Bay LPGA in China, Leona Maguire made two back-nine birdies to card a one-under 71 and move up to 44th on three-over. 

She goes into the final round 12 shots behind Japan’s Rio Takeda, who shot 69 to lead by two shots on nine-under from Americans Gigi Stoll and Auston Kim and Australia’s Cassie Porter on Hainan Island.

On the LPGA’s second-tier Epson Tour, Douglas’ Sara Byrne added a two-over 73 to her opening 83 to miss the cut by three shots in the weather-affected Atlantic Beach Classic in Florida.

Israel’s Laetitia Beck was the only player under par after carding a three-under 68 to head a three-strong chasing group into the final round on three under.

In Arizona, Padraig Harrington was tied for tenth, four shots behind Australia’s Greg Chalmers, after making an eagle and two birdies in a three-under 68 in the Cologuard Classic at Tucson’s La Paloma Country Club. 

Chalmers’ 64 gave him a two-shot lead over compatriot Rod Pampling, Canada’s Stephen Ames and South Africa’s Ernie Els.

At LIV Golf Hong Kong, Graeme McDowell and Tom McKibbin head into the final round just four shots off the lead.

McDowell shot a five under 65 and McKibbin a bogey-free 66 to leave them tied for seventh on seven-under.

Peter Uihlein (64), Paul Casey (66) and Sergio Garcia (64) lead by three strokes on 11-under from Mito Pareira (64), Phil Mickelson (65) and Sebastian Munoz (67) on 11-under.

Pareira had a hole in one at the second to help his Torque GC team mates Joaquin Niemann (68), Munoz and Carlos Ortiz (68) lead the team standings by two shots from the HyFlyers and McKibbin’s Legion XIII on 25-under.

McDowell’s Smash were 13 shots back in ninth.