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Woods, Donald share lead

Luke Donald of England hits from the sand to the 8th green at Firestone Country Club Friday at the NEC Invitational. Donald's three-under par 67 moved him to four under for the tournament and tied for the lead with Tiger Woods. PHOTO: AP

Tiger Woods closed with a double-bogey six and an even-par 70 Friday, dropping him into a share of the lead with England's Luke Donald after the second round of the NEC Invitational.

Donald made three straight birdies early in his round and shot 67, joining Woods at 4-under 136.

On the 464-yard 18th, Woods' 8-iron approach caromed off a tree and 20 yards to the right. From there, a 7-iron bounded through the green and into deep rough.

"I didn't shoot myself out of the tournament by making double, and that's a good thing," Woods said. "We've got a long way to go and I'm playing well, so I just need to keep doing what I'm doing."

Vijay Singh was tied for the lead at 5 under until he dumped his third shot into the water on the 667-yard 16th hole and had to chip in with a fairway metal for a bogey.

He shot 71 and was among a group of five at 3-under 137.

Henrik Stenson of Sweden was at 5 under until he found the left rough on the 18th hole, took two shots to advance the ball to the front of the green and also took double bogey for a 71 that put him one shot behind the leaders.

Also at 137 were PGA runner-up Thomas Bjorn, Paul McGinley and Chris DiMarco, who avoided such calamity. Bjorn played bogey-free for a 67, while McGinley had a 66 to match the low score on a day of blustery, deceptive conditions.

DiMarco kept it simple -- very simple -- with 18 pars.

"Any time you don't make any bogeys around this place, that's a good thing," DiMarco said. "Usually when you don't make any birdies, that's not a good thing. But I'm OK."

PGA champion Phil Mickelson had a 72 and was at 141, among 22 players within five shots of the lead.

Woods and felt in control on a Firestone course where he has won three times.

Justin Leonard also shot 66 and was in a large group at 2-under 138 that included David Toms (67), Sergio Garcia (70), Stuart Appleby (70) and David Howell of England (68).

Rookie Yim Sung-ah and South Korean compatriot Kang Soo-yun each shot 8-under 64s for a one-stroke lead over Rosie Jones and defending champion Han Hee-won after the first round.

"There's a lot of trees here and it's really hilly, so it's kind a bit Korean," Yim said after shooting an 8-under 64.

Yim had six birdies on the front nine, leading to the best round of her first LPGA Tour season. The 21-year-old player, who has two top-10 finishes this year, made a 35-foot chip shot to birdie the par-4 fourth hole.

"It's my best score, 8 under, and I feel good today," Yim said. "My shot is really perfect. Not much missed today."

Rosie Jones, who plans to retire from full-time play next year, was a stroke back at 65 along with Han, the winner last year on the first hole of a playoff with Lorie Kane.

Australian Wendy Doolan, Laura Diaz and Aree Song were two shots back at 66.

Jeong Jang, who had not won in 5 1/2 years on the LPGA Tour until her victory last month in the British Open, had six birdies for a 30 on the front nine to finish in a group at 5 under that included rookie star Paula Creamer.

Defending champion Vaughn Taylor shot a 67 to take the second-round lead with a tournament record 13-under par 131, and Bill Glasson shot a course record 10-under 62 to move into contention.

Todd Fischer, playing in his hometown, birdied his first five holes for a 67 and was in second place at 12-under at Montreux Golf and Country Club on the edge of the Sierra Nevada.

Glasson was two more shots back after knocking in a pair of eagles, followed by Jonathan Kaye and Swedes Jesper Parnevik and Fredrik Jacobson at 9 under.

Craig Barlow was 8 under after his second 68. Duffy Waldorf and Aaron Baddeley were in a group another stroke back at 7 under.

Taylor, who's only victory on the US PGA Tour came as a rookie a year ago at Reno, broke the 36-hole record of 133 that John Cook set while winning in 2001 and Corey Pavin tied last year.

Taylor opened with a 64 and has carded 16 birdies in two days, including six Friday to go with a lone bogey when he hit into the water then missed a 2-foot putt on his last hole, the 616-yard, par 5 ninth.

Taylor is in position to become the only player on tour this year besides Vijay Singh to successfully defend a title. Singh has done it twice, at the Buick and Shell Opens.

Tom Kite, Jim Thorpe, Brad Bryant and Morris Hatalsky each shot 6-under par rounds of 66 to share the first-round lead Friday at the Boeing Greater Seattle Classic.

Andy Bean, John Harris, Hale Irwin, Bruce Lietzke, James Mason, Peter Jacobsen and Craig Stadler all were one stroke behind at 5-under 67 on the par-72 Tournament Players Course at Snoqualmie Ridge.

Thorpe called the 7,120-yard Jack Nicklaus-designed course "generous" in the first round.

"The scores are going to be pretty good," said Dan Pohl, one of several golfers within striking distance after his 4-under 68.
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