Kim matches course record, leads

Robert Karlsson of Sweden, an 11-time winner on the European Tour, is tied for fifth place at 10 under par at PGA Tour qualifying in La Quinta, Calif., after shooting a 68 on Thursday.

Robert Karlsson of Sweden, an 11-time winner on the European Tour, is tied for fifth place at 10 under par at PGA Tour qualifying in La Quinta, Calif., after shooting a 68 on Thursday.

Friday, November 30, 2012

— Meen Whee Kim tied the PGA West’s Stadium Course record with a 9-under-par 63 Thursday to take a one-stroke lead after the second round of the PGA Tour qualifying tournament.

Kim had a 13-under 131 in the six-round event. The top 25 and ties will receive 2013 PGA Tour cards and the next 50 and ties will earn Web.com Tour cards.

Two-time PGA Tour winner Vaughn Taylor was second after a 64 on the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course.

Sweden’s Robert Karlsson, an 11-time winner on the European Tour, was tied for fifth at 10 under after a 68 on the Stadium Course. Two-time heart transplant recipient Erik Compton dropped into a tie for 23rd at 7 under after a 70 on the Nicklaus course.

Ron Whittaker (Little Rock) is tied for 39th at 139 after a 70 with three birdies and a bogey on the Nicklaus course. Glen Day (Little Rock) shot a 68 on the Stadium Course with seven birdies, a bogey and a double bogey and is tied for 59th at 140. Brenden Pappas (Arkansas Razorbacks) is tied for 82nd, along with Tag Ridings (Razorbacks), at 142 after a three birdies, a bogey and a double bogey on the Stadium Course. Ridings shot a 69 with four birdies and a bogey.

WORLD CHALLENGE

Putting exhibition

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Putting was all the rage Thursday in the World Challenge.

One day after golf’s governing bodies proposed a new rule that will ban the anchored stroke used for long putters, Keegan Bradley talked about someone on Twitter telling the PGA champion to send in his resume to Burger King in 2016, when the rule goes into effect. Bradley got so fed up with the teasing over his belly putter this week that he grabbed Tiger Woods’ putter and made three out of four from 10 feet.

The rule doesn’t affect Nick Watney, though he couldn’t say enough about his putting. He made five birdies on his last 10 holes — including his first birdie ever on the 14th hole at Sherwood — for a 5-under 67 that gave him a two-shot lead.

Woods’ putting saved his round, even though most of them were for par. That included a 12-foot putt on the 15th and an 8-footer to avoid bogey on the par-5 16th. It added up to a 70, which left him very much in the hunt at an 18-man event where he is more than just a tournament host. Without a title sponsor, Woods is underwriting most of the cost.

Bradley and a pair of past champions at this tournament, Jim Furyk and Graeme McDowell, were two shots out of the lead at 69. Woods was in the group at 70 that included Bo Van Pelt, whom Woods beat this year at Congressional, and U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson.

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE

Haas slips into tie

SUN CITY, South Africa — Bill Haas bogeyed two of the last three holes in the Nedbank Golf Challenge to slip back into a share of the first-round lead with Nicolas Colsaerts.

Two shots ahead after the 15th hole, the American dropped strokes on 16 and 18 to match Colsaerts at 2-under-par 70 in the 12-player event at Gary Player Country Club.

Two-time defending champion Lee Westwood was a stroke back along with Paul Lawrie and South African star Louis Oosthuizen.

LPGA TOUR QUALIFYING

18-year-old leads

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn shot a 6-under-par 66 to take a three-stroke lead after the second round of the LPGA Tour qualifying tournament.

The 18-year-old Jutanugarn had a 10-under total at LPGA International in the fiveround event.

Lacey Agnew was second after a 67. Two-time tour winner Christina Kim was third at 5 under after a 67. She is playing the qualifying tournament for the first time in her career.

The final top 20 will earn full tour status.

Sports, Pages 28 on 11/30/2012