US TOUR: US journeyman Brett Wetterich fired a six-under-par 66 to grab a one-shot lead after yesterday's second round of the Honda Classic in Florida.
For the second consecutive day the 31-year-old, who graduated from the Nationwide tour last year, didn't drop a shot over the Country Club at Mirasol Palm Beach Gardens course.
It left him a shot clear of twice US Open champion Lee Janzen, who shot an eight-under 64.
Janzen, US Open champion in 1993 and 1998, but without a win in almost seven years, began the day five shots behind overnight leader Chad Campbell before rocketing up the leaderboard to lie 11-under through 36 holes.
Padraig Harrington shot a three-under 69 to finish on two-under-par for a share of 47th place.
And Ireland's other representative, Graeme McDowell, recovered from a disastrous run of bogey, bogey double bogey from the 12th, his third, to shoot a one-over 73. He is a shot behind Harrington.
EUROPEAN SENIORS TOUR: Eamonn Darcy made an excellent start to his season on the sun-kissed island of Tobago yesterday with a sizzling first round of six-under-par 66 to get within one shot of the first round lead at the Tobago Plantations Seniors Classic.
The 53-year-old former Ryder Cup star started his round with six steady pars during an uncharacteristic bout of Caribbean drizzle, before making his charge to the top of the leaderboard with a fantastic run of six birdies in 13 holes as the Tobagan sunshine began to beat down on the Tobago Plantations Golf and Resort.
Darcy was delighted with his start to the tournament after a winter of limited practice back home in Enniskerry.
"I'm really pleased with that," said Darcy. "I had one bad shot today - mind you it was a really bad one - when I topped my tee-shot on the 15th. I had the rescue club in my hand and it only went about 150 yards, so I just kept the same club out the bag and thankfully knocked the second one onto the green and made my par.
"Apart from that, it was great. I have been practising as much as I could over the last two weeks, but it's just been so cold back home that it makes it pretty difficult.
"But I came out here last Saturday and have done a good bit of work every day since getting here and it looks to be paying off, so I'm delighted about that."
While Darcy stormed to the top of the field to get within one shot of Englishman Bob Cameron, his fellow countrymen, John Curtis, Denis O'Sullivan and Eddie Polland were moving in the other direction.
Polland, another former Ryder Cup player, carded an opening round of three-over-par 75, while Curtis is on five over after a 77.
Cork's O'Sullivan, winner of the Seniors Tour's opening event of the season in Barbados last weekend and who celebrated his 57th birthday yesterday, posted a disappointing 78 to fall back to six over par.
CHALLENGE TOUR: Argentinian Daniel Vancsik opened a three-stroke lead with a second round 68 allied to an opening 66 leaving him on six under par at the halfway mark of the Tusker Kenya Open at Karen, near Nairobi.
Vancsik, seeking his third Challenge Tour victory, is in supreme form, having carded his 68 in the afternoon when a blustery wind descended on the Karen course.
Best of the Irish was Birr's Justin Kehoe and Waterville's David Higgins who were both on 141. Kehoe shot rounds of 70 and 71 while Higgins went round in 72 and 69.
Colm Moriarty ( 73 73) and Raymond R Burns (77 84) missed the cut, while Michael Hoey withdrew.
CHAMPIONS TOUR: Des Smyth shot a one-under-par 71 to be two shots behind the early leader Isao Aoki in the opening round of the SBC Classic at Valencia Country Club, Santa Clarita, California.
