GOLF ROUNDUP Sorenstam sinks two eagles to forge 2-shot lead

Tiger Woods is one stroke back of Jim Furyk in the Dunlop Phoenix.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Annika Sorenstam is in charge again, and there was no disputing that.
One day after a chilly confrontation with Paula Creamer over a drop, Sorenstam put it out of her mind Friday and made two eagles on her way to a 2-under 70, giving her a two-shot lead over Hee-Won Han at the season-ending ADT Championship.
After the round, however, she wasn't pleased to hear how strongly Creamer felt about Sorenstam's drop on the 18th hole in the first round.
Creamer insisted that Sorenstam's tee shot stayed over the water during its flight, and that the 35-year-old Swede should have gone back to the tee for her third shot, instead of to a drop area about 190 yards from the hole.
The 19-year-old rookie said in her "heart of hearts," she did not think the ball ever crossed land, and she later said of Sorenstam that "it's her conscience."
"I'm mostly surprised she feels that way," Sorenstam said. "I'm disappointed that she feels that way. Obviously, she has the right to feel any way she wants. But I really didn't interpret the situation like that out there at all. For me, it was a bad shot. We were trying to figure out where to drop."
No such issues
There were no such issues on a gloomy afternoon Friday, just scrappy golf by just about everyone trying to handle the strong breeze and light rain that came down sideways over the final two hours.
Sorenstam did just enough.
She is the defending champion at Trump International, and she is accustomed to being atop the leaderboard. Even so, Sorenstam could not recall having a round under par without making any birdies.
She didn't need any.
First came a 7-wood on the par-5 fifth hole, from 194 yards to a front pin that stopped 10 feet away. On the par-5 ninth, she hammered another drive and had 217 yards to the hole. Sorenstam again hit 7-wood with a gentle breeze at her back, and it stopped 12 feet from the hole.
Dunlop Phoenix
MIYAZAKI, Japan -- This time, defending champion Tiger Woods is finding the competition tough at the Dunlop Phoenix.
Woods, who easily won this tournament last year, shot a 3-under-par 67 Friday to pull within one stroke of leader Jim Furyk after two rounds.
Furyk had the day's best score, a 64 that featured seven birdies and a bogey to move into the lead alone at 9-under 131. Woods shares second with David Duval, who led after the opening round and shot a 68 Friday.
"I know I can win around here and know what it takes to win," Woods said. "This is a course that seems to fit Jim's game, but hopefully I can drive better the rest of the way and make the putts I need to win."
Champions Tour
BEAUMONT, Calif. -- Japan's Joe Ozaki shot a 1-over 73 in windy conditions Friday to take a two-stroke lead over six players after the third round of the Champions Tour National Qualifying Tournament.
Ozaki had an even-par 216 total on the PGA of Southern California Golf Club course.
"It was very tough playing today with the wind. It was harder than yesterday. I'm very tired," said Ozaki, a 32-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour.
"The short putts were hard and playing downwind was also difficult. But I'm very pleased to be at even-par after three rounds."
Kirk Hanefeld (68), Rick Karbowski (70), Scott Masingill (72), Brad Fabel (72), Canada's Norm Jarvis (70) and England's Bill Longmuir (74) were tied at 2 over.
The top seven players in the six-round tournament will earn full 2006 exemptions, while the next eight will gain partial exemptions.
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