Furyk, Byrd tied for lead at Memorial

Golf: One last birdie for Jim Furyk put him one more stroke under par, which he found more gratifying than being in a share of the lead with Jonathan Byrd on Friday at the Memorial in Dublin, Ohio.

A blue sky and warm sun translated into fast greens at Muirfield Village, leading to a crammed leaderboard going into a weekend loaded with possibilities.

Tiger Woods had his worst score in nearly two years – a 2-over-par 74 – and still was only six shots behind.

Furyk had two bogeys from the bunker on the back nine, but finished with an 8-iron that stopped on the top shelf about 8 feet away for birdie on the 18th that gave him a 2-under 70.

Byrd had a bogey-free 68 in the morning, also making a birdie on the 18th.

They were at 7-under 137.

Asked how he felt about being tied for the lead, Furyk replied, “I’d rather be as many under par as possible.”

Mike Weir (69) and Mark Wilson (70) were another shot back at 6-under 138. The top 16 players were separated by a mere three shots going into the weekend.

•Pak shares lead with Pettersen: Hall of Famer Se Ri Pak maintained a share of the State Farm Classic lead with another bogey-free performance in Springfield, Ill.

The first-round co-leader, Pak shot a 4-under 68. That left her at 10-under 134 and tied with Suzann Pettersen (66).

Alfredsson made a big move, firing a 63 to join Kristy McPherson (66), first-round co-leader Jee Young Lee (69), Kris Tamulis (68) and Moira Dunn (66) at 9 under.

Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., shot a 69 and missed the cut by one stroke.

•Langer leads Triton: Bernhard Langer birdied the par-3 18th hole for a 7-under 65 and a one-stroke after the first round of the Champions Tour Triton Financial Classic in Lakeway, Texas. David Eger birdied was at 66. Michael McCullough followed at 67.

•Woods’ course put on hold: The first golf course Tiger Woods is designing might not be the first to open.

Woods said that construction on Al Ruwaya Golf Course in Dubai is on hold because of the economic meltdown in the United Arab Emirates, pushing back the scheduled opening by at least six months.

Westbrook should be ready for opener

Football: Eagles running back Brian Westbrook had surgery on his right ankle and is expected to be ready for the regular season.

The procedure was done in Baltimore by specialist Dr. Mark Myerson. He removed scar tissue and bone fragments from the ankle, which Westbrook initially hurt last season in Week 3 against Pittsburgh.

•Vinatieri undergoes surgery: Indianapolis kicker Adam Vinatieri had surgery on his right hip this week and is expected to be ready for the regular season.

The Colts have not given a timetable on how much time Vinatieri may miss, other than to say he should be able to play in the opener Sept. 13 against Jacksonville.

•Agent says Favre still retired: Brett Favre remains retired, as far as his agent is concerned.

Favre’s longtime representative Bus Cook said in an interview with the Associated Press that he is unaware of any pending change in Favre’s plans. Cook said he speaks with his friend every day, but not about football.

Stewart to start from pole at Pocono

Auto racing: Tony Stewart will start Sunday’s Pocono 500 at Long Pond, Pa., from the pole after a downpour washed out qualifying for Stewart’s first race since he catapulted to the top of the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings this season.

Jeff Gordon and his achy back will start second. Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman round out the top five set on the point standings.

•Bodine wins trucks race in record time: Todd Bodine passed up a chance to refuel on the final pit stop in Fort Worth, Texas, and still had enough to win the fastest NASCAR Truck Series race ever in the state.

Bodine won with an average speed of 152.282 mph.

•FOTA talks of leaving FIA: The Formula One Teams Association could form a breakaway series if its conditional entry for next season’s championship is rejected by governing body FIA.

FOTA said at the Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul that it wasn’t “bluffing” over the possible threat in the standoff over budget caps and other changes for next year.

Memphis basketball faces more questions

Miscellany: Robert Dozier is the second men’s basketball player who starred on the Memphis team that made it to the 2008 championship game to have questions arise about his entrance exams.

University officials already were preparing for an NCAA hearing today to answer charges that a former player, believed to Derrick Rose, cheated on his SAT exam.

Dozier’s inconsistent SAT scores prevented him from being admitted to the University of Georgia, according to records obtained by the Associated Press.

•Webb wins Senior PBA title: Wayne Webb successfully defended his PBA Senior U.S. Open title, beating Brian Voss 214-188 at Suncoast Bowling Center in Las Vegas.

•Toronto group seeks second NHL team: A Toronto-based group has come forward with a proposal to launch a second NHL franchise in the city in time for the 2012-13 season.

The Toronto Legacy Group suggested during a news conference that about $900 million in financing is already in place for the proposed expansion team.