Sports

Golf

Woods survives weather, poor play

Associated Press
Published February 18, 2006

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LOS ANGELES - Tiger Woods got caught in the rain without an umbrella. And with sloppy bogeys on the final two holes Friday, he left Riviera wondering whether he would get a tee time this weekend.

Soaked to the bone, his cap on backward to keep rain from dripping off the brim, Woods missed an 8-foot par putt on his final hole for a 3-over 74 that put him below the cut line and left him desperate for help from the four dozen players finishing in shivering conditions.

When the second round finally ended, he got enough help to make it on the number.

Rory Sabbatini couldn't feel his toes when he teed off Friday morning in temperatures in the 40s, but warmed up with a 5-under 66 that turned into a four-shot lead.

Sunshine gave way to iron-gray clouds in a matter of minutes, and then came the first drops of rain that soon turned steady. Several players - Woods included - realized they left their rain gear in their lockers or their cars.

Woods, already battling the flu, shoved his hands in his pockets and ducked his head as he walked toward the sixth green, and fans offered him their pop-up umbrellas. Woods smiled and declined.

"Those little things? They're not going to keep you dry," he said.

Forgotten in the wet weather - nasty, but still playable - was some great golf by others.

Sabbatini ran off five straight birdies around the turn and was at 10-under 132, four shots ahead of Thomas Levet (68) and Craig Barlow (69).

Trevor Immelman made a hole-in-one with a 7-iron on the 16th hole and shot 70 to land in the group at 5-under 137 that included U.R. Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman (70) and Lee Westwood, who shot his 66 in the afternoon when conditions were at their worst.

Brian Gay made the rarest shot in golf - a double eagle - by holing out a 5-iron on the par-5 fifth hole and shot 67, putting him in the large group at 4-under 138.

LPGA TOUR: South Korea's Joo Mi Kim tied the SBS Open record with a 7-under 65 for a share of the second-round lead with compatriot Sung Ah Yim and Becky Iverson at 9-under 135.

The three were in the morning session, which had an easy time in balmy and unusually calm conditions on the Turtle Bay Resort's oceanside Arnold Palmer Course in Kahuku, Hawaii. But the conditions picked up later in the day, challenging the afternoon players.

Stacy Prammanasudh (67) was 8 under and Soo Young Moon (67) was another stroke back. Rookie Kyeong Bae, coming off a two-win season on the Futures Tour, shot a 71 to reach 6 under.

Lorena Ochoa also tied the tournament record with a 65 and was at 5 under along with Natalie Gulbis (67), Hee-Won Han (67), Sherri Turner (71) and 17-year-old rookie Morgan Pressel (69), the U.S. Amateur champion and U.S. Women's Open runner-up.

Ai Miyazato shot a 75 and was at 1 over, just making the cut by a stroke.

NATIONWIDE TOUR: Former New Mexico star Spencer Levin shot a 4-under 68 for a share of the second-round lead in the Jacob's Creek Open with tour regular Ryan Armour. Armour shot a 67 to match Levin at 7-under 137 on the Royal Adelaide course. Peter Tomasulo (70) and Michael Sim (69) tied for second at 6 under. Bradley Iles (73), Jarrod Lyle (70), Gavin Flint (75), Michael Long (73) and Jason Buha (70) were 5 under.

EUROPEAN/ASIAN TOUR: David Park shot an 8-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead in the rain-disrupted second round of the Malaysian Open. Park finished at 13-under 131, while defending champion Thongchai Jaidee shot a 63 at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country club. For the second day, the tournament was disrupted by stormy weather with 18 players yet to tee off. Sixty-four players will return to the course today to resume their second rounds. Thammanoon Srirot had a 65 and first-round leader Miguel Angel Jimenez stumbled with a 77, slipping 10 shots behind.

SLAM STAYING PUT: The PGA Grand Slam of Golf, a made-for-TV event featuring the winners of the year's four majors, will return to Kauai this year, the tour said. PGA of America officials considered moving the elite four-man event to another city. A number of locations, including Las Vegas and the Caribbean, expressed interest in hosting the tournament. The 36-hole event will be played Nov. 21-22. The purse was increased to $1.25-million from $1-million.

[Last modified February 18, 2006, 02:15:16]

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