Sports - Golf

Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

Cook leads Schwab Cup Championship by 3 shots

SONOMA, Calif. — John Cook shot a tournament-record 10-under 62 on Friday to take a three-stroke lead over Tom Watson and Phil Blackmar after the second round of the Champions Tour’s season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

Cook, the Administaff Small Business Classic winner two weeks ago in Texas, had 10 birdies and needed just 23 putts to match his career-best round and reach 14-under 130 for the tournament.

Watson, the surprising runner-up at the British Open, hit every green in regulation and shot a 64. Blackmar, who shared the first-round lead with Jeff Sluman, had five birdies on the back nine for a 67.

@BR Body bold Lede colon:Viking Classic postponed: PGA Tour officials postponed the Viking Classic until at least Sunday and will evaluate the course today before making a decision on when or if the Fall Series tournament will be held.

Heavy rain this week has left standing water and tracts of mud all over the course.

@BR Body bold Lede colon:Volvo World Match Play: Anthony Kim advanced to the Volvo World Match Play Championship semifinals Friday despite losing to Scott Strange by three holes in his final round-round match at Finca Cortesin.

Strange needed to beat Kim by at least four holes to advance and was 4-up going to the par-5 18th, but Kim took the hole after hitting his second shot within 4 feet. Strange put his third shot into a bunker before conceding the hole.

Kim will face undefeated Robert Allenby in the semifinals. Allenby beat Oliver Wilson by three holes to set up a Presidents Cup rematch, where Kim won easily. Kim made bigger headlines then after being called a loose cannon by Allenby for reportedly being spotted drunk only hours before teeing off.

Angel Cabrera will face Ross Fisher in the other semifinal. Cabrera beat Simon Dyson by seven holes, and Fisher edged Jeev Milkha Singh by a hole.

Singapore Open: Sweden’s Daniel Chopra shot a 6-under 65 for a share of the lead with England’s Ian Poulter and Taiwan’s Chan Yih-shin in the rainy Singapore Open.

Poulter had 15 holes left, and Chan 11 to go when play was suspended because of darkness. Phil Mickelson was 1 under after four holes in the second round.

Padraig Harrington (69) was 1 over.