GOLF Armour's birdie on 18 provides one-stroke lead over Forsman

Larry Nelson and Bruce Fleischer share the Champions lead.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN ANTONIO -- Tommy Armour III capped a 62 with a birdie on the 18th hole Friday and held a one-stroke lead over Dan Forsman, who hit three tee shots on his final hole, after the second round of the Texas Open.
Armour's 14-under 126 on the La Cantera Golf Club course was the lowest two-round score on the PGA Tour this year.
"You know, what can you say? It's going where I'm aiming," said Armour, whose best finish this year was a tie for 11 in this month's Bell Canadian Open. "The course is in great shape, the greens are perfect. ... It's a birdiefest."
Forsman had a 63 Friday and was one shot in front of Tim Clark (63). K.J. Choi (62), Tom Lehman (63), Hal Sutton (63), Paul Goydos (64) and Charles Howell (64) were all at 129.
Forsman, who started the day on the back nine, was tied with Armour at 14 under after 17 holes when his round nearly imploded on the 380-yard, par-4 9th.
Champions Tour
CONOVER, N.C. -- Larry Nelson had a rather mundane year on the Champions Tour until this month.
Nelson, who has a win and a third-place finish so far in September, shot an 8-under 64 in the opening round of the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn on to share the lead with Bruce Fleisher.
Nelson could have taken the outright lead on the 18th hole, but he missed a 4-foot birdie putt.
"I wanted to shoot 63 very badly," said Nelson, who still had his best first round this season.
Bob Gilder was one shot back of the co-leaders, while Craig Stadler was in a group of three players two behind.
Scores were low at the new venue with 43 golfers under par.
"This course would be playing much different if the greens weren't so soft," said Gilder, who hit all 14 fairways and needed just 26 putts for his 65.
"Seeing guys at 5 under early helped the guys who were playing later," Nelson added. "We said, 'Well, maybe we can go low here.' "
Stadler, who was playing with Nelson and Fleisher, was at 7 under coming to 18.
LPGA
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Beth Daniel shot a 10-under 62 to take a four-stroke lead after the first round of the LPGA Safeway Classic and tie the course record set by defending champion Annika Sorenstam.
Daniel, who earlier this year became the oldest player to win on the LPGA Tour, birdied seven of the last nine holes at the 6,327-yard Columbia Edgewater Country Club course.
Grace Park and Cristie Kerr were tied for second at 66, while Sorenstam, who played in the same threesome as Daniel, was another stroke back.
"Everything just went right for me," said Daniel, who won the Canadian Women's Open in July at age 46 for her 33rd career title and first since 1995.
The LPGA Hall of Famer didn't have to putt from farther than 14 feet on her last four birdies of the round. Her first one of the day was a 36-footer on No. 6.