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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Woods has lead heading into weekend

Associated Press

The position atop the leaderboard should be familiar to Tiger Woods. So should the company he’ll be keeping at the Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas.

Woods sprinkled a few birdies with some solid par saves for a 3-under 67 Friday at cool, blustery Cottonwood Valley, taking a one-shot lead for the second week in a row. The surprise is who will join him on the first tee this afternoon — 47-year-old Mark O’Meara, his best buddy on tour.

Instead of a practice round at a major championship or a casual round at Isleworth when they’re home in Florida, they will be in the final group of a $5.8 million tournament that means something to bothplayers.

Woods, the No. 1 player in the world, has come under severe scrutiny for a game that has produced only one victory this year and no majors in his last seven tries.

“I’ve always felt comfortable when I’ve been in the lead,” Woods said, although he lost the 36-hole lead last week at the Wachovia Championship, ending a five-year streak of winning when he led going into the weekend.

O’Meara, who had a 4-under 66, has not won on the PGA Tour since the ‘98 British Open and is playing this year on a one-time exemption for being in the top 25 in career money. Even though he won earlier this year in the Dubai Desert Classic — a field that included Woods and Ernie Els — there is no substitute for winning at home.

“It would be huge,” O’Meara said. “The last 2 1/2 years, it has been a battle of not playing well, a battle of not putting well, a battle of not being excited about being on the road. It would be a thrill to have a chance to win come Sunday afternoon.”

Ochoa leads in LPGA event

Lorena Ochoa shot a 5-under 67 and shared a one-stroke lead with Pat Hurst in the weather-delayed second round of the LPGA Franklin American Mortgage Championship in Franklin, Tenn. Play was called because of darkness with 16 golfers still on the course. Golfers struggled with winds that gusted up to 25 mph until heavy rains stopped play for 1 hour, 40 minutes in the late afternoon.