DIGEST/US Tour: Sergio Garcia and David Howell are both in the title hunt in America on the eve of golf's final major of the season.
Garcia, who next week returns to the Medinah course near Chicago where he ran Tiger Woods so close in the 1999 US PGA championship, climbed all the way from 32nd to third at The International tournament in Colorado.
And that was despite going in the water on his final hole. After taking a penalty drop, the 26-year-old Spaniard pitched to seven feet and saved par.
Under the points system used at the event Garcia's four-under-par 68 converted to 10 points and took him to a halfway total of 16, only two behind early leader Patrick Sheehan.
Howell, leader of the European Order of Merit, added five points to his opening nine by going round in 70 and was in a tie for fourth place.
Sheehan, seeking the first US Tour win of his career, was one in front of Canadian Ian Leggatt.
Challenge tour: Germany's Benjamin Miarka continues to lead in the Vodafone Challenge, the latest Challenge Tour event in Germany.
He added a 69 to his opening course-record 63 at Elfrather Mühle Golf Club for a total of 12-under-par 132, two ahead of Spain's Carlos Del Moral.
"I am driving the ball worse and worse every day but was saved by my putting, which was sensational," commented Miarka, who had just 26 putts in his round.
Michael McGeady shot a second round 72 to just make it through on the cut at one under, but compatriot Brian McElhinney crashed to a four-over 76 to miss the mark by some distance.
European Seniors: Like many before him, Northern Ireland's Paul Leonard found some welcome respite in the beautiful Swiss spa town of Bad Ragaz and lies just two strokes off the first round lead at the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open.
A round of three-under-par 67 represented Leonard's best score of the year by some six strokes, and would have been even better but for bogeys at the final two holes.
It left him two behind South African John Bland and Australian Stewart Ginn, who lead following rounds of 65.
"It has been a struggle this year to get any form as I have not been able to play much because my wife is unwell," revealed Leonard of Cookstown. "Today was better, although I am disappointed to finish as I did."
Let tour: Mexico's Lorena Ochoa set a course record eight-under-par 65 during the second round of the Scandinavian TPC, hosted by Annika Sorenstam, which was one better than the course record set by Sorenstam on her home course 24 hours earlier.
In doing so, the world number two caught up with the world number one on home territory and tied for the lead with Sorenstam on nine-under-par 137.
Sorenstam, competing on her home course of Bro Balsta in Stockholm, tacked a two-under-par 71 on to her first-round 66 in the more difficult afternoon conditions.
Ochoa made her move early on posting an eagle, eight birdies and two bogeys.
The 24-year-old from Guadalajara eagled the 17th, which was her eighth hole, hitting her driver more than 300 yards and then playing a six-iron 165 yards to five feet.
Ireland's Rebecca Coakley added a one-over 74 to her opening 79 to lie on 153, four shots outside the cut.
US Women's amateur: Irish Curtis Cup player Martina Gillen of Beaverstown bowed out of the US Women's Amateur Open Championship at the Witch Hollow course at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Oregon on Thursday after being beaten on the last hole by California teenager Mina Harigae.
Girl's amatuer: Ireland had to play a poor second fiddle to Scotland on the final day of the Girls' Home International series at Portstewart yesterday.
They were surprisingly whitewashed 9-0, and had to settle for third place in the table behind new champions Scotland and England, whose seven-year domination of the event has ended this week.
