Digest/US TOUR: India's Arjun Atwal fired a 68 to grab the second-round clubhouse lead at the $5.5 million New Orleans Classic yesterday, moving three shots clear of US Masters runner-up Chris DiMarco and South Africa's Tim Clark with Padraig Harrington six shots back after a second round of one-under-par 71.
Atwal, who has seven international victories but is seeking his first PGA Tour success, had shared the overnight lead with DiMarco, but mounted a charge on the back nine of the TPC of Louisiana course, carding four birdies and a single bogey to sit on 11-under-par 133 through 36 holes.
After carding a flawless opening-round 65, DiMarco had a rollercoaster day, mixing three bogeys and a double bogey with four birdies and an eagle to sign for a one-under 71.
Clark had a much less adventurous round, closing with birdies on his final two holes to finish with a three-under 69.
American Lucas Glover had a flawless day as he finished one shot further back at seven-under 137 after carding a four-under 68.
Defending champion Vijay Singh, riding the momentum from his victory at last week's Houston Open, was also among the early finishers with a one-under 71, but the world number two was still in sight of the leader, only five shots adrift at six-under 138.
The Fijian is looking to become the first player to defend back-to-back titles since Johnny Miller in 1974 and 1975.
Americans Richard S Johnson and Hank Kuehne were also on 138, one shot clear of Harrington, and Japan's Hidemichi Tanaka.
Harrington, starting at the 10th, was quickly into his stride with a birdie at his first hole, but from there on it was a struggle for the Stackstown man.
A dropped shot at the 15th was cancelled out by a birdie at the 18th as he reached the turn in one-under-par 35.
The journey home was equally uneventful with a bogey five at the fourth and a birdie at the seventh leaving him on one-under 71 for the day and a halfway total of 139.
CHAMPIONS TOUR: Des Smyth failed to reproduce the form of last week's success in the Legends Championship when he open with a two-over-par 74 in the FedEx Kinko's Classic at The Hills GC, Austin, Texas, yesterday.
Smyth, with only one birdie, trailed the early leader Curtis Strange, who fired a five-under-par 67, with Brad Bryant and Mark Johnson a shot back on four under.
CHALLENGE TOUR: England's Lee James added a second successive 69 to take the halfway lead in the Peugeot Challenge RCG El Prat in Barcelona on six-under-par 138.
Michael Hoey is the best of the Irish after a 73 for 143, with David Higgins shooting a 74 for 146, Colm Moriarty 76 for 150 and Tim Rice a long way back on 168 after an 81.
IRISH PGA: The Irish pro-am action moved to Spain this week for the Killester Travel PGA event that proved to be a bonanza for Belvoir Park assistant Peter Martin.
Martin not only topped the professionals' leaderboard, but also brought in the winning team.
The tournament was played over the Quinta do Peru and Aroeira courses, with Martin posting a four-under-par 140 for the 36 holes.
In the first round on Quinta do Peru, the winner posted a best of the tournament three-under-par 69 and added one-under 71 from his round on Aroeira.
Martin's partners were Belvoir Park 11-handicapper Jimmy Murray, retired surgeon John Horgan, who plays off 12 out of Royal Dublin, and his wife, Ann, a 16-handicapper and Lady Captain at Sutton.
THE LYTHAM TROPHY: Antti Ahokas had never even seen the testing Royal Lytham and St Annes links before yesterday's first round of The Lytham Trophy.
But ignorance proved to be bliss for the 20-year-old Finn as he set the pace with a six-under-par 65, which included birdies on the final three holes.
Ahokas leads by a shot from Scottish amateur champion George Murray, who racked up five birdies on the outward loop, including three in a row from the fifth, and added two more on the way home.
But he also spoiled his card by dropping his first shot at the 17th, rifling his approach through the green, then wasting another when he came up short on the last hole.
There was a rude awakening for the Irish champion, Brian McElhinney, however, who never recovered from taking three shots to extricate himself from one of Royal Lytham's infamous greenside bunkers, ending up with a triple-bogey seven at the second.
Making his first visit to the celebrated British Open venue, McElhinney finally handed in a nine-over-par 80 and said, "There was no sand at all under the ball on my first shot and then there was too much."
Stackstown's Mark Campbell was optimistic after carding a level-par 71, but the round of the day from the seven-strong Irish contingent was a fine two-under-par 69 from Dunmurry's Darren Crowe.
With birdies at the 13th, 14th and the 17th, played yesterday into the teeth of the wind, Crowe was more than pleased with his performance.
"I haven't been playing too well since I came back from Australia, where I had three top-10 finishes, and I didn't qualify at the West of Ireland. The secret here at Lytham is to avoid the bunkers as the lips are so steep," he said.
Perhaps too much was expected of 15-year-old Roy McIlroy's first appearance on the "senior" scene and he could only manage a seven-over-par 78.
