Ward stroke behind Ochoa at St. Andrews

Wendy Ward made five birdies to fire a 70 and move within one stroke of leader Lorena Ochoa after the second round of the Women’s British Open at St. Andrews, Scotland, on Friday.

Ward missed a 4-foot putt at the end that would have tied her for the lead. Instead she is tied for second place with Catriona Matthew at 68.

“I didn’t care to finish that way,” Ward said. “But I’m still pleased with the day.”

Ochoa missed a putt for eagle at 14 but her 6-unde-par 140 put her one up after her round of even-par 73.

Michelle Wie was preparing another early flight home. She shot an 80 for a 7-over score of 153 that missed the cut by two.

Ochoa went to the 18th with a two-shot lead and faced a 25-foot putt for birdie. The advantage slipped to one as her first putt, hit too strongly, curled 4 feet past and then she missed that to wind up with a bogey.

Bridgestone Invitational

Rory Sabbatini continued to make a difficult golf course look like a breeze, running off three straight birdies toward the end of his round for another 3-under 67 and a two-shot lead over Masters champion Zach Johnson in the Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio.

What appeared to be a tuneup for the final major of the season next week at the PGA Championship is starting to look like it might be an even tougher test. Sabbatini was at 6-under 134, with only seven other players able to break par. Five-time champion Tiger Woods was one of them after an even-par 70. He made only two birdies despite hitting 15 greens in regulation, and those were wiped out by a pair of three-putts from about 35 feet.

Reno-Taho Open

Steve Flesch overcame a double bogey and swirling winds with six birdies to shoot a 69 for a two-stroke lead midway through the Reno-Tahoe Open in Reno, Nev., at 12-under 132.

Charles Warren, whose 301-yard driving average ranks ninth on the PGA Tour, shot a 9-under 63 and was two shots back in second place at 10-under.

Champions Tour

Tom Jenkins and Jim Thorpe took advantage of ideal conditions to shoot 8-under 64s and share the 3M Championship’s first-round lead in Blaine, Minn.

Jay Haas, who sits atop the Champions Tour’s money list and Schwab Cup points race, was one stroke back along with five others at the TPC of the Twin Cities.