PGA Tour:After a promising start that yielded three birdies in his first six holes Padraig Harrington slipped down the field when dropping five shots through the next eight holes to finish two-over-par and nine shots off the pace in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in California.
Harrington, on 74, trails early leader John Mallinger, who at seven-under-par 65 leads by two from Jason Schultz and India's Arjun Atwal, who both shot 67 with Dean Wilson, Ryan Armour and Brendon de Jonge tied on 68.
Mallinger, starting at the 10th, birdied four of his first five holes and the 18th in an outward half of 31. The American added birdies at the 11th and 13th for his two-shot lead.
Meanwhile, Paul McGinley played a steady round to finish on three-under-par 69. McGinley birdied his first hole (the 10th) but double-bogeyed the 12th in a first nine of 35 and came home in two-under-par after a birdie, birdie finish.
Earlier, former major winner Fred Couples withdrew from the tournament because of an unspecified injury, PGA Tour officials said.
The 47-year-old American, who pulled out before teeing off in his opening round at Poppy Hills Golf Club, has suffered from back trouble for much of his career.
Couples, whose only major victory came at the 1992 Masters, has played in only one event on the 2007 PGA Tour, missing the cut at last week's Phoenix Open.
LET TOUR:Welsh golfer Becky Brewerton and Sweden's Cecilia Ekelundh are two shots behind first round leader, Sun-Ju Ahn of South Korea, after the first round of the ANZ Ladies Masters at the Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast, Queensland.
Both players carded six-under-par 66s while a further six players were tied on five-under-par. Karrie Webb, the tournament favourite, had a disappointing 71 to finish the first day in joint 39th position with the defending champion, Amy Yang.
Ahn, the first round leader, had 10 birdies and two bogeys for an eight-under-par 64. The 19-year-old, who plays all of her golf on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) circuit, won one tournament in 2006, the KB Bank Star Tour, in Seoul.
Ireland's Rebecca Coakley is in danger of not making the cut after an opening round of 76. Coakley's troubles came on the back nine when she dropped four shots in a row from the 13th.
PORTUGUESE AMATEUR:Shane Lowry is well off the pace at the halfway mark in the Portuguese Amateur Championship at Quinta de Cima GC in the Algarve.
Lowry added a second round 77 to his opening 74 for a 36-hole total of 151 - six shot behind local favourite Pedro Figueiredo.
Figueiredo, on one-over-par 145 after a second round 75, leads by one from Scotland's Ross Kellett, who shot 72, and two from the English pair of Lloyd Campbell (72) Sam Stuart (74).
