Golf: Three-time winner shares lead

LAS VEGAS - Jim Furyk, bidding for his fourth victory at the Las Vegas Classic, fired a six-under 65 yesterday to share the lead with Charles Howell III after the second round of the US$5 million ($10.55 million), 90-hole tournament.

New Zealander Phil Tataurangi was right in the fight, shooting a second-round 66 to be on 10-under, two shots off the pace.

Furyk's 65 came at the par-71 TPC at The Canyons course. He has a 12-under 131 total for his two rounds.

Howell, who won his maiden US PGA Tour title at the Michelob Championship in Williamsburg, Virginia, last week, returned a seven-under 65 at the par-72 Southern Highlands course. He has a 12-under 132 aggregate.

Sharing third place on 11-under were Jeff Sluman (66), Chris DiMarco (67), Steve Jones (70), Frank Lickliter II (65) and Michael Clark (67). David Duval, last year's British Open champion, led a group of eight players a further stroke back on 10-under.

The event is being played on three courses, the par-72 TPC at Summerlin, Southern Highlands and the TPC at The Canyons.

Furyk and Howell took advantage of early tee times before the wind picked up for the later starters and made scoring more difficult.

The 32-year-old Furyk, who won The Memorial this season, had six birdies. The US Ryder Cup player, who has yet to make a bogey this week, first won the tournament in 1995 before following up with back-to-back victories in 1998 and 1999.

In eight previous appearances at the tournament, Furyk has compiled a scoring average of 67.84 strokes a round.

* In Paris, German Alex Cejka took a one-shot lead after the first round in the Lancome Trophy yesterday.

He had after a seven-under 64 in his final European Tour appearance before trying his luck on the more lucrative US circuit.

His round included eight birdies and gave him a one-stroke advantage over a string of players in Versailles, including six-time major winner Nick Faldo, who failed to join him with a share of the clubhouse lead after bogeying the 17th.

New Zealand's Stephen Scahill shot a 66 to be well positioned, and Greg Turner had a 70.

* Carin Koch, of Sweden, established a career low and course record yesterday with a 10-under 62 that gave her a three-shot lead at the exclusive LPGA Tournament of Champions at Semmes, Alabama.

Seeking her fourth straight Tour victory in her quest for a record-setting 14 this season, Swedish superstar Annika Sorenstam opened with a six-under 66.

Koch had four birdies in a row twice and finished with another to close a bogey-free round at the Magnolia Grove Crossings Course.

It was her lowest round in eight years on the Tour and the best by three shots this season.

- AGENCIES