Golf : Choi has Barclays lead while Singh goes home

K.J. Choi holed out from 94 yards for eagle on the seventh hole Friday and marched along to a 5-under-par 66, giving him a two-shot lead over Rich Beem in The Barclays going into the weekend at the first of four playoff events for the FedEx Cup in Harrison, N.Y.

Defending champion Vijay Singh missed the cut for the first time at Westchester in five years.

LPGA

Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa was a shot back of leaders Sophie Gustafson and rookie Ji-Young Oh after the first round of the Safeway Classic in Portland.

Oh and Gustafson each had 6-under 66s at Columbia Edgewater Country Club.

Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., opened with a 72. Rathdrum’s Tracy Hanson carded a 75.

Michelle Wie, playing on a sponsor’s exemption, continued her struggles this season with a 79.

Champions Tour

Ray Stewart, a former PGA Tour player, made four birdies on his first nine, and finished with a 6-under 66 to lead the Boeing Classic in Snoqualmie, Wash.

U.S. Amateur

Jhonattan Vegas, a Venezuelan who attends the University of Texas, outlasted 15-year-old Cheng Tsung Pan of Taiwan, 2 and 1 to reach the U.S. Amateur semifinals at the Olympic Golf Club in Daly City, Calif.

Also, Colt Knost (Southern Methodist) defeated Canadian Nick Taylor 4 and 3; Casey Clendenon (Lamar University) knocked off Californian Eddie Olson 4 and 3; and Michael Thompson of the University of Alabama defeated Derek Fathauer 5 and 4.