US PGA TOUR: Luke Donald outshone playing partners Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco to move into contention for the Barclays Classic in New York yesterday.
Only 68th after a one-over-par opening 72, Donald charged all the way to five under with a sparkling, bogey-free 65 and midway through the day's play was only three behind new leader Vijay Singh.
Donald, bumped out of the world's top 10 and an automatic Ryder Cup spot by fellow Englishman David Howell's victory in the BMW Championship two weeks ago, turned in a three-under 32 - despite three-putting the long 18th for par.
That looked only a minor setback as he promptly birdied the 190-yard first and followed another birdie at the long fifth with a 10-footer on the next.
Overnight leader Adam Scott was able to add only a 72 to his first round 65, and Billy Andrade took the opportunity to go top when six birdies counter-balanced three bogeys and a double bogey.
Lee Westwood, meanwhile, missed the cut for the sixth successive tournament after he had a second successive 74 for a six over aggregate.
Westwood's Ryder Cup prospects have taken a real nosedive as a result and will get no better next week, as he has failed to make it into the US Open.
The predicted cut mark was one over and Ian Poulter's closing birdie put him on that mark. Defending champion Padraig Harrington, three over overnight, was level after 14.
SENIORS TOUR: Scotland's John Chillas carded a fine, four-under par 68 to claim a two-shot lead after the first round of the Irvine Whitlock Seniors Masters at a wind-strewn La Moye Golf Club in Jersey yesterday.
The former club professional from Glenbervie goes into the second round a couple of shots ahead of Spain's Manuel Pinero and Englishmen, Tony Allen and Bob Cameron, and three in front of an international group comprising John Benda, Denis Durnian, Bertus Smit, Kevin Spurgeon and Alan Tapie.
However, it was not such a good day for tournament favourite Sam Torrance, who struggled on the greens and could do no better than a one over par 73.
Chillas looked to be heading nowhere when he played his first nine holes in one over par 37 but he stormed home in five under par 31 to claim the outright lead.
The Scot started his purple patch when he hit a seven-iron onto the green at the 160 yard par three first hole (his 10th), and then also birdied the second and the fifth before wrapping things up with an eagle on the par five sixth, where he hit the green in two and then holed out from 35 feet for a three.
CHALLENGE TOUR: While European number one David Howell is blazing a trail on the world stage, fellow Englishman Marcus Higley will be hoping some of the magic will rub off on him as he goes into the weekend in a share of the lead in the Thomas Björn Open.
Higley teamed up with Howell's coach Clive Tucker last September and is now starting to reap the rewards. A second round of 68, at Hosens GC in Denmark, took him to seven under par 137 alongside South African Michiel Bothma, who shot a 69.
It was a bad day, however, for the Irish trio of Justin Kehoe, Danny Sugrue and Tim Rice, who all missed the cut which came at three-over-par 147.
