ORLANDO, Fla. — Martin Laird loves when he can smash a driver, and that carried him a long way Friday at Bay Hill.
Laird, a former Colorado State standout, reached three of the par 5s in two shots, converted one of them into an eagle and wound up with a 7-under-par 65 for a one-shot lead over K.J. Choi (64) and Spencer Levin (70) in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
“I’m driving the ball really well and putting really well,” said Laird, who was at 9-under 135. “Ask any pro — that’s a pretty good combination to have.”
Tiger Woods is in contention as his 20-foot birdie putt on his 18th hole rolled in for a 68, leaving him six shots behind Laird.
• Jiyai Shin shot a bogey-free 9-under 64, birdieing nine of the first 14 holes, to take a four-stroke lead in the rain-delayed Kia Classic in Industry, Calif.
• Two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer had surgery on his left thumb and will miss the next two months, ending his streak of 27 consecutive appearances at Augusta National.
• Maarten Lafeber shot a 5-under 65 Friday to climb into a share of the halfway lead at the Andalucian Open in Malaga, Spain.
Packers’ Jolly is arrested
HOUSTON — Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Johnny Jolly, suspended by the NFL without pay for all of last season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, has been arrested on a drug charge.
A Houston police spokesman said Jolly was pulled over early Friday morning and said officers discovered a bottle containing 600 grams of codeine under the passenger’s seat and another bottle with an unidentified substance in the driver’s side door.
• Former NFL lineman Barret Robbins has been sentenced to five years in Florida prison for a drug- related probation violation.
Hornets’ West has torn ACL
NEW ORLEANS — Hornets leading scorer David West has a torn left anterior cruciate ligament in his knee and is out for the season.
West, averaging a team-high 18.9 points to go with 7.6 rebounds, was injured Thursday night at Utah.
• The Memphis Grizzlies said forward Rudy Gay had season-ending surgery on his partially dislocated left shoulder.
Contador retains cycling lead
TARRAGONA, Spain — Samuel Dumoulin won the fifth stage of the Volta of Catalunya and Alberto Contador kept the overall lead.
• Defending champion Sarah Hammer of the U.S. powered around the closing laps to overtake Alison Shanks of New Zealand and retain her individual pursuit title at the track cycling world championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands.
Footnotes.
Juan Pablo Montoya had the fastest time in qualifying for Sunday’s Auto Club 400 in Fontana, Calif. Denny Hamlin will join him on the front row.
• The budding soccer career of Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco has been extended to include a practice game for Sporting Kansas City of the MLS.
• Steve Zakuani scored in the 80th minute to give the Seattle Sounders a 1-1 tie with the Houston Dynamo.
