Nielsen's 64 gives him Commerce Bank lead

East Meadow, NY (Sports Network) - Lonnie Nielsen fired a seven-under 64 on Saturday to move into the lead after two rounds of the Commerce Bank Championship.
He finished 36 holes at 12-under-par 130, which was two off Jim Thorpe's tournament record, and is three clear of Tom McKnight, who shot a second-round 66 at the Red Course at Eisenhower Park.
Defending champion John Harris is still in the hunt. He shot his second consecutive four-under 67 on Saturday and is tied for third place with Jay Sigel, who carded a 66, at minus-eight.
Nielsen did not get off to a great start on Saturday with a bogey at the second hole. He atoned for the error with a birdie at the par-five third, then joined a packed house atop the leaderboard with a birdie at the sixth.
A few players moved into first place at seven-under par, Nielsen joined them there with a birdie at the ninth. It was his stellar play on the back nine that gave him his three-stroke cushion.
At the par-four 11th, Nielsen ran home a 12-foot birdie putt to move into the lead at eight-under par. He reached the par-five 12th green in two with a five-iron and two-putted from 40 feet for his second birdie in a row.
Nielsen took a brief break from making birdies with a par at 13, but got right back to it with a birdie at 14. He knocked his second to three feet to set up another birdie at the 15th.
"I hit some really great irons on the back side," said Nielsen. "Fourteen and 15 especially, I knocked them right in there close where I could brush them in."
Nielsen played some smart golf at the difficult, par-three 16th. He hit a six- iron 30 feet short of the flagstick and lagged his birdie try to tap-in par range.
Nielsen missed the green with his second shot at the par-five 17th. He elected to putt his third from the collection area and the decision paid off for Nielsen. He putted five feet from the hole, then converted that putt for a birdie and a three-shot lead at minus-12.
At the par-four closing hole, Nielsen appeared to be in some trouble. He drove into the right rough and missed the green with his second. Once again, Nielsen pulled out his flat stick and once again lagged the putt to five feet. He sank the par putt and will take a three-shot lead into Sunday.
The final round will be a test for Nielsen, who celebrated his 54th birthday on Friday. He has never won on the Champions Tour and his best finish was a pair of runner-ups, including a playoff loss to Eduardo Romero at last year's Tradition.
Nielsen admitted that when he saw his name near the top of the leaderboard on Saturday, it might have thrown him slightly off his game.
"I did early in the going and felt so out of sorts," admitted Nielsen. "It seemed like there were so many things going on and I just wasn't paying attention. After the third hole, I decided to stick my nose to the grindstone, see how I can shoot and look at the scoreboard later."
Overnight-leader Loren Roberts only managed an even-par 71 on Saturday. He is tied for fifth place with R.W. Eaks (66), David Edwards (67), Bob Gilder (67) and Brad Bryant (68) at minus-seven.
Romero (71), Curtis Strange (68) and Bruce Summerhays (65) are knotted in 10th at six-under-par 136.

Park leads at halfway point of U.S. Women's Open

Southern Pines, NC (Sports Network) - Angela Park posted a two-under 69 Saturday to take a two-stroke lead after two rounds of the U.S. Women's Open.
Park completed a weather-delayed 36 holes at five-under-par 137.
Julieta Granada, Ji-Yai Shin and Amy Hung each carded 69s and share second place at three-under-par 139.
Kraft Nabisco champion Morgan Pressel is the last player in red figures at minus-one after a 70 in round two.
The tournament has been delayed several times due to inclement weather pushing the completion of round two to Saturday. Only 24 players completed their first two rounds on Friday, with the rest completing their second round Saturday.
Women's World No. 1 Lorena Ochoa, who is still searching for her first major title, posted two straight rounds of even-par 71.
She shares sixth place at even-par 142 with In Bee Park, Shi Hyun Ahn, Shiho Oyama and Catriona Matthew.
Birdie Kim, the 2005 U.S. Women's Open winner, and Jeong Jang, the 2005 Women's British Open champ, are among 12 players tied for 11th at one-over-par 143. Among the others at plus-one were Angela Stanford, Cristie Kerr, Erica Blasberg and Wendy Doolan.
Defending champion Annika Sorenstam posted a six-over 77 in round two and is tied for 49th place at plus-five.
The cut line fell at six-over-par 148 with 67 players advancing to the weekend.
Among those who missed the cut were three two-time champions Juli Inkster (149), Karrie Webb (154) and Meg Mallon (157) as well as McDonald's LPGA champion Suzann Pettersen (150) and 2003 U.S. Women's Open winner Hilary Lunke (160).
Michelle Wie withdrew from the championship on Saturday citing her lingering wrist injury.

Hansen leads Khan at Open de France

Paris, France (Sports Network) - Denmark's Soren Hansen fired a five-under 66 Saturday to take a one-shot lead through three rounds of the Open de France.
Looking for his second career European Tour win -- and first since the 2002 Irish Open -- Hansen was at seven-under 206.
Englishman Simon Khan, the second-round leader, had a 70 and was alone in second place at six-under 207.
Hansen's 66 was the round of the day at Le Golf National.
"Soren is a quality player and that 66 today was a great score," said Khan. "Hopefully we can go out in the final group tomorrow and have a good game and fight it out for the title."
Playing ahead of them on Sunday will be eight-time Order of Merit champion Colin Montgomerie, who shot a 71 in the third round to end the day within three shots of the lead.
The Scotsman was joined at four-under 209 by Germany's Martin Kaymer (69).
Montgomerie, the 2000 champion, hasn't won since the Hong Kong Open in December 2005 -- a span of 18 months. Just four of his 30 career victories have come in the last five years.
"Tomorrow I have to prove I haven't forgotten how to win," he said.
Khan began the day with a one-shot lead on Montgomerie and Paul McGinley, but ended a shot back of Hansen after managing just three birdies and two bogeys in his round.
"I am not unhappy with that," said Khan. "I hit a couple of crooked shots coming in but made a great birdie at the 17th when I chipped in. I was pleased with the way I finished."
Hansen made his only bogey Saturday at No. 2, and later closed his round with a birdie at the 18th that earned him the lead. But the highlight of his round was a three-wood to the edge of the cup from 275 yards out at the par-five third.
He tapped in for an eagle.
"I don't think I've hit a better shot in my life," Hansen said.
Jeev Milkha Singh shot a 67 Saturday and moved from a tie for 28th place into a share of fifth alongside Thomas Bjorn (71) and David Lynn (69) at three- under 210.
Steven Jeppesen (68), Zane Scotland (72) and Graeme Storm (71) were another shot further back at 211.

Wie withdraws from U.S. Women's Open

Southern Pines, NC (Sports Network) - Another tournament, another withdrawal for Michelle Wie.
The 17-year-old star pulled out of the U.S. Women's Open during the second round Saturday, marking the second time she has withdrawn in three starts.
Wie struggled with nagging wrist injuries and withdrew during the first round of the Ginn Tribute four weeks ago, then stirred controversy when she showed up to practice for the McDonald's LPGA Championship that weekend.
She was dangerously close to shooting an 88 at the Ginn Tribute, placing her within range of an obscure LPGA Tour rule that disqualifies any non-member for the remainder of the season if they shoot an 88 or worse.
Wie had an 11-over 82 in the first round of the U.S. Women's Open, which has struggled to get on track in the midst of several weather delays.
She made six bogeys through nine holes of the second round and was 17-over par at the time of her withdrawal.

Weather continues to dominate U.S. Women's Open

Southern Pines, NC (Sports Network) - The U.S. Women's Open has been plagued by weather problems over the first two days.
The first round was completed Friday morning after a 3 1/2 hour weather delay on Thursday. Once the second round commenced Friday, more bad weather blew through the area causing more problems.
Play was stopped twice during the round and the second delay eventually led to action being halted for the day. Lightning was the main culprit, but there was also plenty of rain at Pine Needles as well.
Second-round action is slated to resume at 7:30 a.m. (et) Saturday.
Teenager Angela Park remains atop the leaderboard thanks to her three-under 68 in the first round. She has yet to begin her second round.
All six players -- Ji-Yai Shin, Charlotte Mayorkas, Joo Mi Kim, Shi Hyun Ahn, Amy Hung and Julieta Granada -- tied for second place at minus-one haven't started their second rounds either.
Just eight groups -- 24 players -- have completed two full rounds. Among them was In-Bee Park.
Park started round two tied for second with Shiho Oyama. She struggled to a two-over 73 that left her at even-par 142, where she is tied for eighth with Oyama and Jee Young Lee, who both are through 16 holes of round two.
"I'm going to get a lot of rest because I played a lot of golf the last two days and it's going to be a lot tougher the next two days," said Park, mirroring the thoughts of many players.
Kraft Nabisco champion Morgan Pressel, Cristie Kerr, women's world No. 1 Lorena Ochoa, Brittany Lincicome and Jennie Lee are also at even-par, but haven't started to round two yet.
Defending champion Annika Sorenstam started the round tied for fourth, but went the wrong way. She was six-over through 17 holes and stands at plus-five and tied for 74th.
Sorenstam opened with a double-bogey on the 10th. She carded four more bogeys en route to shooting a six-over 42 on the back nine.
Around the turn, Sorenstam started to settle down. She dropped another stroke on two, but got that shot back with a birdie on the eighth. Sorenstam was playing the ninth when play was halted.
If Sorenstam pars the ninth for a six-over 77, she would tie her third-worst score at the U.S. Women's Open. She posted an 80 in her first Women's Open in 1992 and shot 79 at the 1998 Women's Open. She has shot 77 four other times at this event and has finished no better then tied for 23rd in those four championships.
Former Women's British Open champion Jeong Jang, Angela Stanford and Kris Tamulis each posted rounds of even-par 71 Friday and are tied for 16th at one- over-par 143.
Birdie Kim (15 holes) and Diana D'Alessio (14 holes) also stand at plus-one, and both are one-under during their second rounds. Five more players stand at one-over, but haven't started their second round.
Hye Jung Choi fired the round of the day with a three-under 68, moving her into a share of 39th at three-over-par 145.
Michelle Wie (+11) and Karrie Webb (+12) have yet to begin their second rounds.

Claxton rolls to four-shot lead in New York

Findley Lake, NY (Sports Network) - Paul Claxton fired his second straight round of six-under 66 Friday to grab a four-stroke lead after two rounds of the Peek'n Peak Classic.
Claxton stands at 12-under-par 132, which established a new 36-record. Omar Uresti set the old mark of 134 in 2002 and Stan Utley matched that total the following year.
Jon Mills carded his second 68 of the week and is tied for second with Roland Thatcher (67) at eight-under-par 136.
Matt Hansen posted an eight-under 64 Friday to tie the course record on the Upper Course at Peek'n Peak Resort. The 64 moved Hansen into fourth place at minus-seven.
Claxton, playing in the first group out Friday morning, had two solid stretches of golf during his round. He opened with a birdie on the second and made it two straight as he birdied No. 3.
After a par on four, Claxton birdied the par-four fifth to get to minus-nine. He parred his next five holes around the turn.
Claxton ran off three straight birdies from the 11th to get to 12-under. However, the key to his bogey-free round was the par saves he made at 15 and 16.
He got up and down from a bunker over the 15th green. At 16, his drive stopped under the lip of a bunker and he was forced to pitch out. Claxton knocked his third to 12 feet and made that putt for par.
"I hit a nice sand shot to about six feet and made a nice par-putt," Claxton said of the 15th. "Then I hit my worst tee shot of the tournament on No. 16 in the lip of the bunker and had to chip out. I managed to get it to about 12 feet and made par. Those things keep the round going and keep momentum going."
Claxton, who won earlier this year at the Melwood Prince Georges County Open, had a simple explanation for his good scores.
"I'm driving the ball well. I'm hitting my irons well and I'm finally getting my putts to fall," he stated. "I guess that's a pretty good combination."
Keoke Cotner (67), Joe Daley (70), Chris Anderson (68) and Michael Sims (68) are tied for fifth place at six-under-par 138.
Michael Letzig, who shared the lead after round one, struggled to a one-over 73. He is tied for ninth at minus-five with Brian Quackenbush, David Mathis, Bryn Parry, Tjaart van der Walt, Scott Gardiner, Kelly Grunewald and Chris Smith.
The cut line fell at one-under-par 143 with 61 players making it to the weekend.

Roberts shoots 64 to lead Commerce Bank

East Meadow, NY (Sports Network) - Loren Roberts fired a bogey-free, seven- under 64 Friday to take the lead after one round of the Commerce Bank Championship.
Roberts birdied his last two holes, and five of his last eight, to take a one- shot lead over Eduardo Romero, who also played without a bogey to shoot six- under 65.
Lonnie Nielsen had a five-under 66 and was in third place, while Jay Haas, a four-timer winner this season, joined defending champion John Harris to lead a group of six players at 67.
Roberts began his round on No. 10 and made a run of birdies that left him at five-under around the turn.
His first birdie came from 10 feet at the 11th. He followed that with another at the 12th, then a four-foot birdie putt at the 14th.
All of them were set up with good approach shots into Eisenhower Park's fast greens.
"I was really able to play aggressively with my irons," said Roberts, who hit 17 greens in regulation to lead the field.
Once he was there, Roberts made putts.
He rolled in 12-footer at the 17th and a 15-footer at the 18th to make the turn with back-to-back birdies. Roberts added a two-putt birdie at the par- five third, then knocked a six-iron to three feet for his final birdie at the par-three fifth.
It was his first time playing competitively in three weeks, since he tied for 63rd at the PGA Tour's Stanford St. Jude Championship. His last start on the Champions Tour ended in victory four weeks ago at the Boeing Championship at Sandestin.
"I'm confident after winning at Sandestin. I'm rested and ready to go," he said.
Romero is coming off consecutive runner-up finishes -- behind Roberts at Sandestin and behind Denis Watson at the Senior PGA Championship. He told his caddie before the round that he believed four-under would be a good score Friday.
"So I'm really happy with six-under," said Romero, who had six birdies in a bogey-free round.
The players are tuning up for the U.S. Senior Open Championship next week, then the Senior British Open three weeks after that.

Furyk, Perry and Quigley share Buick Open lead

Grand Blanc, MI (Sports Network) - Kenny Perry caught fire, then stumbled to a bogey on his last hole to join Jim Furyk and Brett Quigley in the lead after two rounds of the Buick Open.
Still struggling to get back to form following knee surgery last year, Perry scorched Warwick Hills for a nine-under 63 on Friday, bolstered by a key eagle putt and a stretch where he made five birdies in seven holes.
Furyk bookended a three-hole birdie run with a pair of unfortunate bogeys and shot a four-under 68. Quigley finished with a three-under 69 after managing just seven pars and a bogey on his last eight holes.
The trio were knotted at 10-under 134, leading three players by a shot.
"The scores are bunched up there pretty tight," said Furyk, making his first start since a runner-up at the U.S. Open. "The opportunity is there for us to fire low numbers."
And there have been plenty.
Forty-five players were five-under or better, including first-round leader Rocco Mediate (71), Scott Verplank (69) and Brian Bateman (70), who were tied for fourth place at nine-under 135.
Steve Elkington (70), Lucas Glover (68) and Woody Austin (71) were another shot further back at 136.
Even without Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh in the field -- they won five of the last 10 Buick Opens -- the average score has dipped below par on both days. The cut line fell at three-under par Friday, with players like Charles Howell III and Trevor Immelman not making the weekend.
It is one of the PGA Tour's most notorious shootouts.
"The way it's going now, [the winning score] will probably be 20-under. So we've got to make a lot of birdies," said Quigley.
Which is how Perry played his round Friday. After starting on No. 10, he collected five birdies to make the turn in just 31 shots, then added three more birdies in his first six holes on the front nine.
When he rolled in an improbable 50-foot birdie putt at No. 6, Perry joined three players who were one shot off the lead, shared by Quigley and Furyk at the time.
At the par-five seventh, Perry knocked a 276-yard shot within 14 feet to set up an eagle putt that vaulted him above the co-leaders at 11-under par.
"The hole got really big for me, and I was making putts all over the place," said Perry, who needed just 22 putts to finish his round.
Perry also shot 63 in final round of the Memorial four weeks ago to finish tied for third place. Struggling with a right knee injury, it was his first top-10 finish in two years.
"That told me that I still had something in me. It re-energized me," Perry said. "But this was a magical round, too."
Quigley held the lead by himself until Furyk -- and especially Perry -- caught fire later in the day. He had four birdies in 10 holes, then played the last eight at one-over par.
When he lipped out a 16-foot par putt at the 16th, Quigley fell into a tie with Furyk at 10-under. Not too long after that, Perry made his eagle at No. 7 to moved past both of them.
"It takes a little pressure off me, not being (alone) in the lead," said Quigley, who also led after 36 holes last year.
Still looking for his first PGA Tour win in 16 years as a pro, the 37-year-old Quigley, who owns two Nationwide Tour titles, is getting used to answering questions about his career-long dry spell.
"I just have to stay in the process," he said. "That's the big thing for me. If I'm worried about winning, I've got no chance."
Furyk, the No. 3 player in the world, hasn't won since last year's Canadian Open. After making a bogey at No. 11, he collected three consecutive birdies from the 12th hole, including two straight from inside five feet.
But Furyk stumbled to another bogey from the rough at the par-four 15th, dropping back to 10-under.
"I hit some poor shots on the back nine. I got a little loose and I'm a disappointed about that," said Furyk. "It's disappointing, but you're going to make bogeys.
"I've also made 13 birdies in two rounds, so hopefully I can keep that going."
Furyk and the other leaders will have to keep making birdies this weekend if they hope to squeeze out a victory in what will surely remain a mad dash for low scores.
"It will be a shootout," Furyk said.

Kahn leads Monty and McGinley in France

Paris, France (Sports Network) - England's Simon Khan fired a four-under 67 on Friday to move into the lead midway through the Open de France. He stands at five-under-par 137 and is one ahead of a pair of Ryder Cuppers at Le Golf National.
Colin Montgomerie, the 2000 champion, shot a one-under 70 and is tied with Paul McGinley, who posted his second straight two-under 69 on Friday, at minus-four.
Overnight co-leader Kyron Sullivan only managed a three-over 74 in round two and shares fourth place with Thomas Bjorn (71), Zane Scotland (71) and Tom Whitehouse (69). The group finished 36 holes at three-under-par 139.
Khan began the second round on the 10th tee and wasted little time in breaking into red figures. He birdied the par-three 11th, then parred the final seven holes of his opening nine.
The Englishman started his second nine in style with a birdie at the par-four first. Khan parred his next four holes, but moved to the top of the leaderboard thanks to his play in the middle of his back nine.
At the par-four sixth, Khan drained a seven-foot birdie putt to move to four- under par for the championship. He made it two in a row at seven and that was enough to get him the lead to himself.
Khan's fortunes changed recently when he went back to an old putter he had in his attic. He's averaged a modest 30 putts a round so far this week, but last week when he tied for seventh in Munich, he averaged an impressive 26 putts a round.
"It was very frustrating and things reached a head when I played with Nick Dougherty in the U.S. Open Qualifier at Walton Heath," said Khan. "I felt I matched him tee to green, but he qualified and I didn't then he went on to finish well up at Oakmont. Nothing seemed to be happening for me.
"However I decided to start using an old putter which had been up in my attic and the two-year-old had been playing with it. At the time I would say her stroke was better than mine. It looks a bit battered but I decided to shorten it and decrease the loft."
Montgomerie played the course in normal fashion and mixed two bogeys and a birdie over his opening nine. He knocked a five-iron to tap-in range to set up a birdie at 12, then parred his next five.
At the closing hole, Montgomerie played a seven-iron 30 feet left of the hole. He rolled in the long birdie putt to get within one stroke of Khan's lead.
"There is potential disaster here around every corner," said Montgomerie. "We have a potential 'Amen Corner' on this course from the 13th onwards. This is one of our best venue, if not the best, on tour."
McGinley started at 10 and birdied the hole. He bogeyed 15, but recorded a pair of birdies at two and nine to get into second place.
"I've got myself in a nice position and if I play like I have the last couple of days I will be there or thereabouts," said McGinley, who ranks a lowly 120th on the Order of Merit.
Soren Hansen (71), Martin Kaymer (70), Thomas Levet (73), Jose-Filipe Lima (72), Damien McGrane (72), Jyoti Randhawa (72) and Graeme Storm (74) are knotted in eighth place at minus-two.
James Kamte, who shared the first-round lead with Sullivan struggled to a seven-over 78 on Friday and is part of a group tied for 28th place at one- over-par 143.
The 36-hole cut fell at four-over-par 146 and among the notable players who will miss the weekend include Miguel Angel Jimenez (147), last year's winner John Bickerton (149) and Jean van de Velde (150).

Sullivan, Kamte share lead in France

Paris, France (Sports Network) - Welshman Kyron Sullivan and South African James Kamte posted matching rounds of six-under-par 65 Thursday to share the lead after one round of the Open de France.
Swedes Christian Nilsson and Steven Jeppesen are tied for third place with Benn Barham at minus-five.
Frenchman Thomas Levet, who has missed the cut in 10 of 16 starts in his national Open, is alone in seventh place at four-under-par 67 on the Albatross Course at Le Golf National.
Sullivan, who played in the final group off the first tee, packed all the action into the middle of his round. He started with a birdie on the par-four fifth.
The 31 year old collected back-to-back birdies from the par-three eighth to make the turn at minus-three.
Sullivan converted his fourth birdie on the par-three 11th. After a par at the next, the Welshman birdied the 13th and came right back to birdie No. 14 to grab a share of the lead at minus-six. He parred the final four holes to close out a bogey-free round.
"I have played with James on the Challenge Tour and it's good to see guys from that tour doing well," Sullivan stated. "It gives you the encouragement to kick on and believe you can lead an event like the Open de France."
Kamte, who got into the field via a 36-hole qualifier, played the back nine first and had an up-and-down nine. He made a birdie effort on the 11th. After dropping a shot on the par-four 13th, he got that stroke right back with a birdie on 14.
The South African birdied the 17th, but gave that shot back as he bogeyed 18 to make the turn in one-under.
Around the turn, Kamte turned it on. He birdied the par-three second and jumped to four-under with an eagle at the par-five third. Birdies on the sixth and eighth gave him a piece of the lead.
Kamte has Ernie Els to thank for the shape of his game.
"If I ever win one of these big events I will thank Ernie right there on the spot," Kamte admitted. "He gave me the opportunity to play back home through his Foundation when no one else would give me the opportunity. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be sitting here today."
Eight-time Order of Merit champion Colin Montgomerie opened with a three- under-par 68. He was joined in a share of eighth place by Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin as well as Damien McGrane, Thomas Bjorn, Markus Brier, Miguel Angel Martin, Jyoti Randhawa, Zane Scotland and Jose-Filipe Lima.
Among the eight players one stroke further back are Miguel Angel Jimenez, Paul McGinley and France's Gregory Havret.
Defending champion John Bickerton is tied for 38th after an even-par 71.

Sullivan, Kamte share lead in France

Paris, France (Sports Network) - Welshman Kyron Sullivan and South African James Kamte posted matching rounds of six-under-par 65 Thursday to share the lead after one round of the Open de France.
Swedes Christian Nilsson and Steven Jeppesen are tied for third place with Benn Barham at minus-five.
Frenchman Thomas Levet, who has missed the cut in 10 of 16 starts in his national Open, is alone in seventh place at four-under-par 67 on the Albatross Course at Le Golf National.
Sullivan, who played in the final group off the first tee, packed all the action into the middle of his round. He started with a birdie on the par-four fifth.
The 31 year old collected back-to-back birdies from the par-three eighth to make the turn at minus-three.
Sullivan converted his fourth birdie on the par-three 11th. After a par at the next, the Welshman birdied the 13th and came right back to birdie No. 14 to grab a share of the lead at minus-six. He parred the final four holes to close out a bogey-free round.
"I have played with James on the Challenge Tour and it's good to see guys from that tour doing well," Sullivan stated. "It gives you the encouragement to kick on and believe you can lead an event like the Open de France."
Kamte, who got into the field via a 36-hole qualifier, played the back nine first and had an up-and-down nine. He made a birdie effort on the 11th. After dropping a shot on the par-four 13th, he got that stroke right back with a birdie on 14.
The South African birdied the 17th, but gave that shot back as he bogeyed 18 to make the turn in one-under.
Around the turn, Kamte turned it on. He birdied the par-three second and jumped to four-under with an eagle at the par-five third. Birdies on the sixth and eighth gave him a piece of the lead.
Kamte has Ernie Els to thank for the shape of his game.
"If I ever win one of these big events I will thank Ernie right there on the spot," Kamte admitted. "He gave me the opportunity to play back home through his Foundation when no one else would give me the opportunity. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be sitting here today."
Eight-time Order of Merit champion Colin Montgomerie opened with a three- under-par 68. He was joined in a share of eighth place by Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin as well as Damien McGrane, Thomas Bjorn, Markus Brier, Miguel Angel Martin, Jyoti Randhawa, Zane Scotland and Jose-Filipe Lima.
Among the eight players one stroke further back are Miguel Angel Jimenez, Paul McGinley and France's Gregory Havret.
Defending champion John Bickerton is tied for 38th after an even-par 71.

Woods to return at AT&T National

Bethesda, MD (Sports Network) - Tiger Woods announced Thursday that he will return to play in the AT&T National next month, joining Phil Mickelson in the field at his new tournament.
Woods' wife gave birth to the couple's first child, daughter Sam Alexis, last Monday, a day after he missed a 30-foot putt on the last hole of the U.S. Open that would have forced a Monday playoff.
He skipped this week's Buick Open to remain at home with his family. He would have been the defending champion there.
The AT&T National is a new event, to be hosted by Woods from July 5-8 at Congressional Country Club. Proceeds will benefit the Tiger Woods Foundation.
"As host, this tournament is very special to me, and I am grateful the event is receiving tremendous support from the local community, my fellow PGA Tour players and all the members and staff of Congressional Country Club," Woods said in a statement posted on his Web site.
The event filled a hole in the PGA Tour schedule left when the International folded in February under the weight of declining ratings and the lack of a title sponsor.
Woods rarely appeared at the International, another factor in its demise. He is the third player after Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer to host his own tournament.
"It is extremely special to be hosting an event here over July 4th week, and I'm looking forward to a great tournament that raises funds and awareness for the millions of kids my foundation serves," the statement read.
Mickelson, recovering quicker than expected from his left wrist injury, announced his intention to play on Wednesday.

Broadmoor awarded 2011 U.S. Women's Open

Far Hills, NJ (Sports Network) - The United States Golf Association has awarded the 2011 U.S. Women's Open to The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The championship is scheduled to be held July 7-10, 2011.
Originally designed by Donald Ross in 1918, with additions by Robert Trent Jones Sr. in 1958 and 1965, The Broadmoor will host the U.S. Women's Open for the second time.
Annika Sorenstam recorded her first professional victory at the 1995 Women's Open at the club.
The Broadmoor has also hosted the 1982 U.S. Women's Amateur, won by Juli Inkster, and the 1959 and 1967 U.S. Amateurs. Jack Nicklaus won the '59 Amateur and Bob Dickson captured the title in '67.
The 2008 U.S. Senior Open will also be staged at The Broadmoor.
This year's U.S. Women's Open begins Thursday at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in North Carolina -- another Donald Ross layout.
Next year's championship is set for Interlachen Golf Club in Edina, Minnesota, while the 2009 event is scheduled for Saucon Valley in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and the 2010 championship then heads to suburban Pittsburgh at Oakmont.

Reavie cruises to first Nationwide title

Farragut, TN (Sports Network) - Chez Reavie posted a four-under 68 on Sunday to cruise to his first victory on the Nationwide Tour at the Knoxville Open.

He completed his first win at 17-under-par 271 and won by three shots over Kyle McCarthy at Fox Den Country Club.

"I've been working so hard this year. I had a couple of chances to win last year and would always have a bad round here or there and fall out," said Reavie, who pocketed $85,500. "You really start to question yourself. So it's very gratifying to get a win."

McCarthy shot a two-under 70 to come in at 14-under-par 274. Michael Letzig fired a six-under 66 to take third at minus-13, one shot better than Deane Pappas, whose 67 on Sunday sent him to 12-under-par 276.

Reavie flew out of the gate with an eagle at one and a birdie at two. He held a five-shot lead, but when McCarthy birdied three, four and seven and Reavie bogeyed eight and nine, the pair was tied on the 10th tee.

"It was an amazing start to the round," Reavie said. "Then, all of the sudden, I bogey one hole, then another. I had to step back and take a deep breath and compose myself. Then I was able to birdie 10, 11 and 12 and get the lead back."

McCarthy also bogeyed 10, so the margin jumped again. In the end, Reavie cruised, but it was also an amazing week for McCarthy, who missed out on Monday qualifying, but got in as the 31st alternate.

He grabbed a 15-year-old caddie, did not play a practice round and made his first cut of the year.

"Chez played great," McCarthy said. "I wanted to win, but after the start that Chez had going eagle-birdie, I went from one-to-four down. But I made a run at him and am proud of the way I held up."

Scott Gardiner (70), Jon Mills (72) and Tommy Biershenk (71) are knotted in fifth place at minus-11. Esteban Toledo shot a two-under 70 and took eighth at 10-under-par 278.

Tim Wilkinson (66), Joe Daley (68), Roland Thatcher (69), Jeff Wood (70) and the tour's second-leading money winner, Nicholas Thompson (70) shared ninth place at minus-nine.

Golf World Men Ranking

Golf World Men Ranking

Last Update: June 25, 2007, at 02:33 PM ET

Rank	Player	Country	Average	Points	Events
1	Tiger Woods	USA	20.22	808.73	40
2	Phil Mickelson	USA	8.98	368.13	41
3	Jim Furyk	USA	8.47	440.49	52
4	Adam Scott	Aus	7.04	345.20	49
5	Ernie Els	Zaf	6.79	325.96	48
6	Vijay Singh	Fji	6.20	384.10	62
7	Henrik Stenson	Swe	5.75	310.36	54
8	Geoff Ogilvy	Aus	5.68	272.42	48
9	Luke Donald	Eng	5.30	275.65	52
10	Retief Goosen	Zaf	5.02	311.06	62
11	Padraig Harrington	Irl	4.97	288.34	58
12	Sergio Garcia	Esp	4.86	248.06	51
13	Rory Sabbatini	Zaf	4.70	234.84	50
14	Zach Johnson	USA	4.62	249.55	54
15	Angel Cabrera	Arg	4.42	207.74	47
16	Paul Casey	Eng	4.38	245.49	56
17	Trevor Immelman	Zaf	4.35	235.14	54
18	David Toms	USA	3.90	183.18	47
19	Justin Rose	Eng	3.85	204.22	53
20	K.J. Choi	Kor	3.81	236.06	62
21	Stewart Cink	USA	3.72	193.47	52
22	Niclas Fasth	Swe	3.61	184.04	51
23	Steve Stricker	USA	3.58	150.15	42
24	Nick O'Hern	Aus	3.50	189.12	54
25	Charles Howell III	USA	3.49	205.97	59
26	Aaron Baddeley	Aus	3.23	177.84	55
27	Scott Verplank	USA	3.17	158.74	50
28	Stuart Appleby	Aus	3.00	180.29	60
29	Robert Allenby	Aus	2.98	175.82	59
30	Brett Wetterich	USA	2.87	169.12	59
31	Ian Poulter	Eng	2.85	167.97	59
32	Rod Pampling	Aus	2.83	161.51	57
33	Stephen Ames	Can	2.83	124.59	44
34	Davis Love III	USA	2.80	131.44	47
35	Jose M Olazabal	Esp	2.80	150.97	54
36	Robert Karlsson	Swe	2.75	159.49	58
37	Richard Sterne	Zaf	2.65	124.38	47
38	Richard Green	Aus	2.62	117.78	45
39	David Howell	Eng	2.61	125.08	48
40	Arron Oberholser	USA	2.48	101.48	41
41	Carl Pettersson	Swe	2.43	160.22	66
42	Anders Hansen	Dnk	2.40	120.01	50
43	Mike Weir	Can	2.38	114.02	48
44	Chad Campbell	USA	2.35	124.55	53
45	Jerry Kelly	USA	2.35	145.69	62
46	Lee Westwood	Eng	2.33	126.06	54
47	John Rollins	USA	2.33	141.88	61
48	Colin Montgomerie	Sco	2.31	133.96	58
49	Boo Weekley	USA	2.30	129.04	56
50	Charl Schwartzel	Zaf	2.27	136.32	60
51	Vaughn Taylor	USA	2.26	126.72	56
52	Chris DiMarco	USA	2.26	131.18	58
53	Tim Clark	Zaf	2.26	110.75	49
54	Bradley Dredge	Wal	2.20	99.11	45
55	Shingo Katayama	Jpn	2.20	118.66	54
56	Joe Durant	USA	2.17	121.48	56
57	Jeev Milkha Singh	Ind	2.15	168.00	78
58	Miguel Angel Jimenez	Esp	2.13	117.19	55
59	Raphael Jacquelin	Fra	2.11	107.46	51
60	Lucas Glover	USA	2.09	129.87	62
61	Ryan Moore	USA	2.08	106.15	51
62	John Senden	Aus	2.07	126.42	61
63	Mark Calcavecchia	USA	2.06	115.10	56
64	Tom Lehman	USA	2.05	94.35	46
65	Paul Goydos	USA	2.05	90.11	44
66	Yang Yong Eun	Kor	2.00	102.12	51
67	Bernhard Langer	Deu	1.95	91.73	47
68	J.J. Henry	USA	1.95	114.90	59
69	Anthony Kim	USA	1.94	77.79	40
70	Johan Edfors	Swe	1.93	96.48	50
71	Shaun Micheel	USA	1.90	114.24	60
72	Bart Bryant	USA	1.89	102.14	54
73	Ben Curtis	USA	1.85	98.01	53
74	Sean O'Hair	USA	1.84	110.24	60
75	Tom Pernice Jr.	USA	1.84	119.35	65
76	Dean Wilson	USA	1.81	123.08	68
77	Bubba Watson	USA	1.81	113.71	63
78	Simon Dyson	Eng	1.80	114.99	64
79	Brett Quigley	USA	1.80	114.93	64
80	Heath Slocum	USA	1.76	103.72	59
81	Jose Coceres	Arg	1.75	69.82	40
82	Jyoti Randhawa	Ind	1.72	84.43	49
83	Liang Wen-Chong	Chn	1.72	104.93	61
84	Thomas Bjorn	Dnk	1.71	87.37	51
85	Fred Funk	USA	1.71	94.02	55
86	Woody Austin	USA	1.68	104.11	62
87	Hunter Mahan	USA	1.65	106.98	65
88	Michael Campbell	NZl	1.64	83.41	51
89	Thongchai Jaidee	Tha	1.62	90.64	56
90	J.B. Holmes	USA	1.62	71.13	44
91	Nathan Green	Aus	1.60	113.89	71
92	Troy Matteson	USA	1.60	100.53	63
93	Camilo Villegas	Col	1.59	103.43	65
94	Ben Crane	USA	1.58	71.16	45
95	Ken Duke	USA	1.56	92.28	59
96	Bo Van Pelt	USA	1.56	92.13	59
97	Rocco Mediate	USA	1.56	65.32	42
98	Nick Dougherty	Eng	1.55	91.46	59
99	Anthony Wall	Eng	1.55	80.36	52
100	Toru Taniguchi	Jpn	1.54	83.23	54
101	Jeff Quinney	USA	1.54	87.79	57
102	Jonathan Byrd	USA	1.53	73.23	48
103	Peter Lonard	Aus	1.53	88.47	58
104	Markus Brier	Aut	1.48	77.08	52
105	Brandt Snedeker	USA	1.48	85.79	58
106	Tim Herron	USA	1.44	80.77	56
107	Kenny Perry	USA	1.44	66.29	46
108	Mark Wilson	USA	1.43	79.99	56
109	Andres Romero	Arg	1.43	67.11	47
110	Nick Watney	USA	1.42	84.90	60
111	Fredrik Jacobson	Swe	1.40	56.09	40
112	Jason Bohn	USA	1.38	81.49	59
113	Soren Kjeldsen	Dnk	1.37	75.57	55
114	Anton Haig	Zaf	1.37	59.08	43
115	Peter Hanson	Swe	1.37	68.48	50
116	Darren Clarke	Nir	1.34	57.49	43
117	Pat Perez	USA	1.34	62.76	47
118	Billy Mayfair	USA	1.33	81.41	61
119	Andrew Buckle	Aus	1.33	67.61	51
120	Graeme McDowell	Nir	1.29	68.11	53
121	Jose Manuel Lara	Esp	1.28	68.01	53
122	Paul Broadhurst	Eng	1.28	69.21	54
123	Martin Kaymer	Deu	1.28	51.12	40
124	Simon Khan	Eng	1.27	65.02	51
125	Louis Oosthuizen	Zaf	1.27	64.99	51
126	Ryuji Imada	Jpn	1.25	74.98	60
127	Jay Williamson	USA	1.25	49.85	40
128	Charley Hoffman	USA	1.23	75.23	61
129	Stephen Marino	USA	1.23	49.32	40
130	Gonzalo Fdez-Castano	Esp	1.23	66.16	54
131	Kevin Na	USA	1.21	48.38	40
132	Tetsuji Hiratsuka	Jpn	1.21	68.93	57
133	Ted Purdy	USA	1.21	78.48	65
134	Francesco Molinari	Ita	1.20	62.22	52
135	Frank Lickliter II	USA	1.19	72.39	61
136	Kevin Sutherland	USA	1.19	66.40	56
137	Matt Kuchar	USA	1.17	65.69	56
138	Hideto Tanihara	Jpn	1.17	58.56	50
139	Peter O'Malley	Aus	1.16	58.92	51
140	Alejandro Canizares	Esp	1.15	46.12	40
141	Prayad Marksaeng	Tha	1.15	73.32	64
142	Tomohiro Kondo	Jpn	1.14	60.42	53
143	Corey Pavin	USA	1.13	51.82	46
144	Stephen Leaney	Aus	1.12	65.87	59
145	Taichi Teshima	Jpn	1.11	62.33	56
146	Daniel Chopra	Swe	1.11	82.23	74
147	Mikko Ilonen	Fin	1.10	47.19	43
148	Mathew Goggin	Aus	1.09	69.54	64
149	Bob Estes	USA	1.08	55.19	51
150	David Lynn	Eng	1.07	56.87	53
151	Nick Flanagan	Aus	1.07	45.95	43
152	Brian Gay	USA	1.07	67.21	63
153	Paul McGinley	Irl	1.06	54.20	51
154	Gaurav Ghei	Ind	1.05	48.37	46
155	Will Mackenzie	USA	1.05	69.15	66
156	Craig Kanada	USA	1.05	52.32	50
156	Jesper Parnevik	Swe	1.05	52.32	50
158	Harrison Frazar	USA	1.05	63.78	61
159	Brendan Jones	Aus	1.04	51.05	49
160	Marc Warren	Sco	1.03	57.41	56
161	Gary Orr	Sco	1.02	40.90	40
162	Greg Owen	Eng	1.02	55.20	54
163	Hidemasa Hoshino	Jpn	1.02	49.05	48
164	Ricardo Gonzalez	Arg	1.02	44.70	44
165	Jeff Maggert	USA	1.01	50.46	50
166	Steve Lowery	USA	0.98	54.86	56
167	S.K. Ho	Kor	0.98	51.75	53
168	Lee Dong-hwan	Kor	0.97	38.60	40
169	Brian Davis	Eng	0.96	58.74	61
170	David Smail	NZl	0.95	47.64	50
171	Frankie Minoza	Phl	0.95	49.25	52
172	Stephen Dodd	Wal	0.94	44.36	47
173	Kevin Stadler	USA	0.94	61.79	66
174	Cliff Kresge	USA	0.93	55.61	60
175	J.P. Hayes	USA	0.91	43.70	48
176	Steve Elkington	Aus	0.91	40.97	45
177	Rafael Echenique	Arg	0.91	42.73	47
178	Paul Sheehan	Aus	0.91	54.51	60
179	Peter Hedblom	Swe	0.91	41.70	46
180	Richard S. Johnson	Swe	0.91	52.54	58
181	John Bickerton	Eng	0.91	49.82	55
182	Phillip Archer	Eng	0.90	52.10	58
183	Prom Meesawat	Tha	0.90	46.63	52
184	Oliver Wilson	Eng	0.89	47.25	53
185	Andrew McLardy	Zaf	0.89	44.28	50
186	Fred Couples	USA	0.89	35.40	40
187	Chapchai Nirat	Tha	0.88	45.91	52
188	Katsumasa Miyamoto	Jpn	0.88	49.36	56
189	Azuma Yano	Jpn	0.87	48.10	55
190	Billy Andrade	USA	0.87	44.49	51
191	Charles Warren	USA	0.87	51.46	59
192	Keiichiro Fukabori	Jpn	0.87	47.61	55
193	D.J. Trahan	USA	0.85	56.04	66
194	Jeff Sluman	USA	0.85	49.90	59
195	Jean Van de Velde	Fra	0.84	37.89	45
196	Joost Luiten	Nld	0.83	33.09	40
197	Steve Flesch	USA	0.83	52.88	64
198	Robert Garrigus	USA	0.82	45.99	56
199	Joe Ogilvie	USA	0.82	48.18	59
200	Simon Yates	Sco	0.82	32.65	40