PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Y.E. Yang shot a bogey-free round of 5-under-par 65 on Friday, moving to 7-under 132 for a one-stroke lead through two rounds of the Honda Classic at PGA National.
The South Korean was one shot ahead of Will MacKenzie (67), Jeff Overton (67) and Robert Allenby (68). Of the top 21 players on the leaderboard, only MacKenzie and Stewart Cink have PGA Tour victories since 2006.
Ben Crane, winless since 2005, shot a 5-under 65 on his 33rd birthday to get to 5-under. David Mathis (68) was alone at 4-under, and six others were at 3-under, including Greg Chalmers (who shot 64, Friday’s best round).
• Tiger Woods has entered the CA Championship at Doral, Fla., next week, resuming his return from knee surgery on a Blue Monster course where he has won three times. This will be Woods’ first stroke-play event since winning the U.S. Open in a playoff in June.
• Paula Creamer and Jane Park shot 1-under 71s to share the second-round lead at 6-under 138 in the LPGA Tour’s HSBC Women’s Champions in Singapore.
Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa, the defending champion, was 2-under after a 73.
• Defending champion Bernhard Langer shot a 6-under 65 to take a one-stroke lead over Jim Colbert, Bob Gilder and Eduardo Romero after the first round of the Toshiba Classic in Newport Beach, Calif..
U.S., Swiss tied at Davis Cup
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Andy Roddick beat Marco Chiudinelli in straight sets to move the United States into a 1-1 tie in its opening-round Davis Cup match against Switzerland.
After James Blake lost to Stanislas Wawrinka in four sets to put the United States in an early hole, Roddick answered with a 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (5) victory.
Martin takes first pole since 2001
HAMPTON, Ga. — Mark Martin claimed the top spot at Atlanta Motor Speedway, making him the second-oldest pole winner in NASCAR Cup history.
Martin, 50, turned a lap of 187.045 mph for Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 500, earning his 42nd career pole but first since May 5, 2001, at Richmond, Va.
Only Harry Gant, who was 54 when he claimed the pole in August 1994 at Bristol (Tenn.), was older than Martin.
“I feel like a rookie,” Martin said. “I really, really do.”
Footnotes.
Eric Shanteau, who has battled back from testicular cancer, swam a personal best of 1:00.09 to win the 100-meter breaststroke, and American record-holder Katie Hoff won the 200-meter at the Austin (Texas) Grand Prix.
• Cycling’s world governing body banned German rider Stefan Schumacher for two years after he tested positive for a banned drug at the 2008 Tour de France.
• A spectacular late goal from substitute Natasha Kai gave the United States a 1-0 victory over Iceland and sent the defending champion into the final of the Algarve Cup in Ferreiras, Portugal. The winner of the Germany-Sweden game Monday will play the Americans for the title Wednesday.
The Associated Press
