Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies

Squeakers propel Els into semis

VIRGINIA WATER, England - Ernie Els earned two close victories Friday to reach the semifinals of the World Match Play Championship and stay on course for a record sixth title.

But Vijay Singh, the world's No.1 player, lost in a playoff.

Els beat Scott Drummond 2 and 1 in a first-round match completed early Friday then Angel Cabrera 1-up.

Padraig Harrington edged Thomas Levet 1-up in another quarterfinal, and Lee Westwood beat Retief Goosen 2 and 1. The final quarterfinal was halted by darkness with Miguel Angel Jimenez leading Bernhard Langer 3-up after 28 of the 36 holes.

Today's semifinals feature Els against Harrington and Jimenez or Langer against Westwood. The final is Sunday.

Els, No.2 in the world, drove poorly during the first 18 against Cabrera, going out of bounds twice at 17, and trailed by one after 18 before rebounding.

"I started swinging like I wanted to. I've been working on something in my takeaway, snatching at it a little bit," Els said. "Only now is it starting to click in with my body."

Langer, the European captain who had played little during the past 16 months while planning for the Ryder Cup, ousted Singh on the first playoff hole of their first-round match, also halted Thursday by darkness. Singh rallied from three down with four to play, but Langer won with a birdie on the 571-yard 17th.

"He's No.1 in the world, and I'm somewhere in the mid 70s," Langer said. "He was the hot favorite."

In beating Levet, Harrington was injured when his right hand hit a tree on the follow-through of a shot from the rough. He had it bandaged and could not swing freely for the rest of his round.

"I thought I had loads of room," he said. "How I got my hand to the tree I don't know."

LPGA: Grace Park followed her first-round 62 with a 5-under 67 for a four-shot lead midway through the Samsung World Championship in Palm Desert, Calif. Shi Hyun Ahn and Karen Stupples shot 65 to tie for second.

With a 34 at the turn, Park shot 33 on the back nine, including birdies at 12, 13 and 14.

PGA: Wearing a heat wrap for his sore hip, Brent Geiberger shot 67 for a one-shot lead in Greensboro, N.C. His 11-under 133 was one better than David Toms (65), Tom Pernice Jr. (68) and Jeff Brehaut (66). First-round leader Jason Dufner (70) is among four at two back.

Geiberger, 144th on the money list, is trying to avoid returning to qualifying school for the first time since 1996. His lone victory came at Hartford in 1999, also the only previous time he played in the last group on a weekend.

CHAMPIONS TOUR: Tom Kite, even after the front nine, made five birdies over his next seven holes and finished tied for first at 66 after the first round of the SBC Championship in San Antonio, Texas. Tom Jenkins, Dave Stockton and James Mason also shot 66.

Jim Thorpe and Mark McNulty were one back. Points leader Hale Irwin and Dana Quigley were among 13 at 68. Craig Stadler, who trails Irwin by one point, had four bogeys on the front nine and finished at 74.

EUROPEAN PGA: Simon Khan shot 6-under 64 for a three-stroke lead over Sergio Garcia (67), Fredrik Andersson (63) and Carlos Rodiles (67) at the Mallorca Classic in Pula, Balearic Island. Khan was among 60 who completed their first round after thunderstorms halted play Thursday. He shot 66 in the opening round. Play in the second round also was suspended because of rain.

LAKE BUENA VISTA - Tiger Woods will skip the Funai Classic at Disney. He has been roaming the Caribbean on his 155-foot yacht since getting married Oct.5.

Disney and the Tour Championship are the only tour events Woods had played every year since 1996, when he turned pro.

Woods has played 18 tour events this year, the same as the past two years. His next event likely will be the Tour Championship, which starts Nov.4.