Watney's career best 63 claims lead

GOLF DIGEST: USPGA TOUR: After starting at the 10th, two eagles on his first nine and four birdies on the way home saw American Nick Watney claim the early lead at the FBR Open at the TPC Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona.

Watney’s career best 63, which included eagles at the 13th and 15th and birdies at the first, second, third and ninth in halves of 32 and 31 – left him on nine-under-par 133 and two shots clear of Kenny Perry, who also shot 63.

In third place on six-under-par 136 were Ryan Moore and Brian Gay, who shot 67 and 68 respectively.

With the cut projected at level par, Phil Mickelson, who shot 73 for 149, wasn’t the only big name to miss the weekend golf.

Anthony Kim, playing this week after taking last week off because of a sore shoulder, shot 73 for 146, while Angel Cabrera is also out despite shooting a 69 for 148.

David Duval, meanwhile, is already going home. He withdrew due to illness.

SOUTH AFRICA: Just two dropped shots in two days left Zimbabwe's Marc Cayeux on top of the halfway leaderboard of the Nashua Masters being played at the par-70 Wild Coast Sun Country Club.

The defending champion backed up his opening 66 with a second consecutive four-under with five birdies and his drop coming on the par-three 11th where he three-putted. He reached halfway in 132.

He was a shot clear of three players on seven-under 133: Scotland’s David Drysdale also shot a 66, as did South Africa’s Jbe’ Kruger, while Darren Fichardt dropped shots on the 15th and 17th to slip out of the lead down to his share of second.

Fichardt had reached nine-under, but his putting touch deserted him on the 15th and he never really got it back on the finishing stretch as he missed another sinkable effort for par on the 17th and his chance of the lead was gone.

It was putting that was important, said Cayeux: “Putting’s definitely going to be the key. I had 32 putts in the first round and today I had 29 and I had the same score.”

And the reason putting became even more important during the second round was because the wind began to come up. “With the wind today, I was obviously missing more green in regulation than I should,” said Cayeux.

Behind the trio in second was recently-turned pro Riaan de Bruyn, who shot a two-under 68 to go with his opening 66 to reach 134 and England’s Ricky Lee, who mirrored De Bruyn’s scoring, and at 135 was the South African pair of Darryn Lloyd (69-66) and Alan Michell (68-67).

PORTUGUESE AMATEUR: Torrential rain washed out the second day's play in the Portuguese womens open amateur golf championship at Quinta do Peru Golf Club, near Lisbon.

Lara Katzy from Germany leads on 71, with UL student Niamh Kitching from Claremorris the best of the Irish with an 80 to be in joint 30th place.