Eagle helps tour rookie take flight

FORT WORTH, Texas -- PGA Tour rookie Brice Garnett grew up in a small Missouri town where his home course is a nine-hole layout.

Garnett has gone from Daviess County Country Club and then Missouri Western State to leading at Hogan's Alley after two rounds at Colonial.

After starting with an eagle, Garnett shot a 4-under 66 on Friday and moved to 7-under 133. He had a one-stroke lead over long-putting Chris Stroud (64) and Robert Streb (68).

"I'm just keeping my head down and trying to make as many birdies as possible," Garnett said. "I'm going to try to embrace it this weekend and have fun, and we'll see where we stand come Sunday."

Adam Scott, playing as No. 1 in the world for the first time, had birdies on three of his last seven holes for a 68 to get to 1 under. He has made the cut in his past 34 PGA Tour events, the longest active streak.

Matt Kuchar, ranked No. 4 in the world, had a chance to move to the top with a victory, but he missed the cut by a stroke at 2-over 142 after a 70.

First-round leader Dustin Johnson (70) dropped into a seven-way tie for fourth at 5 under. That group also included Texas resident Jimmy Walker (68), a three-time winner this season and No. 1 in the FedEx Cup standings.

Stroud made five putts from over 20 feet, all coming in his last 12 holes. His made putts in the round combined for just under 221 feet, the most on the PGA Tour since Brent Geiberger covered 240 feet during the first round at Booz Allen in 2006.

Tim Clark was 7 under and tied for the lead after four consecutive birdies only six holes into his round of 68. But he three-putted at the par-3 16th and didn't have another birdie until No. 9, his last hole, to get to 5 under and tied for fourth.

Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) shot a 2-over 72 (139). Bryce Molder (Conway) had an even-par round of 70 (140). David Lingmerth (Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a 1-under 69 (141).

LPGA

Matthew leads Airbus pack

MOBILE, Ala. -- Catriona Matthew remained atop the Airbus LPGA Classic leaderboard Friday, birdieing four of the last seven holes to take a one-stroke advantage over Charley Hull into the weekend.

Matthew, 44, had a 5-under 67 to reach 13-under 131 on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail's Crossings Course. Hull, 18, also shot 67.

Matthew had six birdies and a bogey -- on the par-4 ninth -- in her afternoon round.

"I played actually probably pretty well today," said Matthew, who opened with a 64 on Thursday. "I hit 17 greens, so I gave myself a lot of chances. I didn't hole many on the front nine, but then the putter got going a little bit on the back nine."

Hull also dropped a stroke on No. 9, her final hole of the day. The English player birdied Nos. 6-8 and had five birdies in a seven-hole stretch before closing with her lone bogey of the week.

Anna Nordqvist, Jessica Korda and Hee Young Park were 10 under. Nordqvist, the winner in Thailand and Carlsbad, had a 66. Korda, the Bahamas champion, shot 67, and Park had a 66.

Kraft Nabisco winner Lexi Thompson and Jenny Shin were 9 under. Thompson had a 65, and Shin shot 68.

Second-ranked Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks), No. 4 Suzann Pettersen and three-time Mobile winner Se Ri Park topped the group at 8 under.

Lewis, the 2012 champion who won the North Texas LPGA Shootout three weeks ago, matched Pettersen with a 70. Pak, the 2010 winner who also won the Tournament of Champions at the course in 2001 and 2002, had a 69.

Michelle Wie, the winner in Hawaii, was 7 under. She followed her opening 71 with a 66.

Top-ranked Inbee Park missed the cut with rounds of 74 and 76, ending her cuts streak at 22. She had 34 putts in the second round and played her final nine in 4-over 40.

WEB.COM TOUR

Varner leads by 1 at Rex

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Harold Varner III led the field Friday at the Rex Hospital Open at TPC Wakefield Plantation.

Varner, 23, had a 6-under 65 for his second round, placing him atop the leaderboard at 10 under.

Max Homa was alone in second place after shooting a 3-under 68 and is 9 under for the two rounds.

Five players were tied at 7 under through Friday, including Scott Gardiner (Farmington), who had a 5-under 65 for the day.

Tag Ridings (Arkansas Razorbacks) had a 5-over 76 and did not make the cut.

CHAMPIONS TOUR

Watson shares lead

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. -- Tom Watson shot a 3-under 68 on Friday for a share of the lead in the Senior PGA Championship with fellow Hall of Famer Bernhard Langer and Colin Montgomerie and three other players.

Watson, 64, playing alongside Langer and Montgomerie, had five birdies and a double bogey -- on the par-4 12th -- to reach 4-under 138 after two rounds at Harbor Shores.

Langer also had a 68, and Montgomerie shot 69 to join Watson, Bart Bryant, Steen Tinning and Kiyoshi Murota atop the leaderboard. Bryant shot 67, Tinning 66, and Murota 65.

Murota, from Japan, had the best round of the day, chipping in for eagles on the par-5 fifth and ninth.

Bryant bogeyed the 18th hole to drop into the tie for the lead.

Tinning, from Denmark, birdied No. 17 in his bogey-free round.

Steve Pate (67) was a stroke back along with Stephen Ames (68), Russ Cochran (69), Mark Brooks (71) and Dan Forsman (73). The group at 2 under included first-round leader Joe Durant (75), Jay Haas (71), Scott Simpson (69) and Duffy Waldorf (70).

EUROPEAN PGA

Lowry, Bjorn out front

VIRGINIA WATER, England -- Shane Lowry birdied his closing two holes for a 2-under 70 Friday to join Thomas Bjorn in the lead after the second round of the BMW PGA Championship.

Lowry overcame a double bogey on the ninth hole by making four birdies on his back nine to erase a two-shot deficit to Bjorn, who carded a 72 on a day of intermittent rain showers. The two four shots clear of the field with 10-under totals of 134.

Spain's Rafa Cabrera-Bello (73) and former BMW PGA winner Luke Donald (67) were tied for third. Rory McIlroy was another shot back along with Swedish duo Jonas Blixt and Henrik Stenson after all three carded 71.

Defending champion Matteo Manassero missed the cut after following up an 80 with a 71.

McIlroy fought back from double bogey on the seventh hole, which he eagled the day before, to stay in contention.

Sports on 05/24/2014

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