Tour News/US TOUR: Little-known American JJ Henry left five of the world's top 10 trailing in his wake with easily the best round of his US Tour career yesterday.
While Sergio Garcia, Graeme McDowell and Greg Owen were all heading out of the FBR Open in Arizona - world number six Garcia after a dismal 74 - Henry scored a 10-under-par 61.
It clipped three strokes off his previous low round on the circuit and at 14 under gave him a four-shot lead over JB Holmes midway through the second day's play.
Henry, yet to win on the US Tour and with two missed cuts out of two this season coming into the event, picked up birdies at the fourth and sixth and then had seven more in a row starting from the ninth.
Another at the 17th gave him the chance to equal the course record of 60 achieved by Phil Mickelson in winning the title last year, but although he "only" parred the last it meant Henry was home in a blistering seven-under 29.
German Alex Cejka, joint overnight leader with Steve Lowery, led on his own when he birdied his second hole, but as Henry raced past him Cejka slipped back to ninth place.
With three holes remaining he was one over for the day and five under for the tournament, nine adrift.
Garcia's hopes of surviving the halfway cut disappeared when he finished with a double bogey six. At two over he was in a tie for 102nd place.
McDowell improved by nine shots on his first round 76, but at one-over-par 143 after a second round 67 was unlikely to make the cut.
Justin Rose, Brian Davis and Phil Mickelson were among the later starters.
All three began with 69s, although Rose had been five under with four to play.
WOMEN'S TOUR: Amy Yang, a 16-year-old Korean amateur, outplayed some of the world's finest professionals in the second round of the LET ANZ Masters at Royal Pines, Queensland, Australia, yesterday.
In only her second appearance in a professional tournament, Yang tacked a round of six-under-par 66 on to her opening 69 to sit at nine-under-par 135, one shot clear of Scotland's Mhairi McKay.
McKay, the joint round first round leader, added a 69 for second place on 136.
"I made a good start and I made a lot of birdies, so I'm really happy with the way I played. It's nice to have another round in the 60s," said the 2003 Australian Open champion McKay.
Catherine Cartwright of Florida and Anne-Marie Knight of Australia share third position at seven-under par, while New Zealander Lynnette Brooky and amateur Tiffany Joh from the USA are tied for fifth position at six-under-par.
SUNSHINE TOUR: Warren Abery fired a seven-under-par 63 for a 130 total and a two-shot cushion at the halfway stage of the Nashua Masters in South Africa yesterday.
Abery leads from Ryan Reid, who added a 64 to his opening 68.
The Irish pair of Mervyn Owens and Padraig Dooley both missed the cut, which came at 142. Owens finished on 146 after a 72 while Dooley also added a 72 for 147.
