Singh Rallies in Wild Round to Retain Lead

Vijay Singh experienced the best and the worst that East Lake Golf Club had to offer Friday. When his wild ride was over, he was right back where he started--atop the leaderboard in the Tour Championship at Atlanta.

One day after his course-record 63, Singh recovered from a disastrous start with birdies on six of the last 13 holes for an even-par 70 that put him at seven-under-par 133 and gave him a two-stroke lead over Jim Furyk.

“What a comeback by Vijay,” said Tom Lehman, four strokes off the lead after a 71. “It just shows that if you’re not hitting it quite right, you can make big numbers. And if you’re hitting good shots, you can make birdies.”

Singh did a little of both on a day in which the pendulum swung wildly in both directions.

When he started the second round on another sunny afternoon with slightly stronger wind, he was three strokes clear of the field. By the time he walked off the fourth green, he was five over for the day and his name wasn’t even on the first two pages of the electronic scoreboard.

“That wasn’t the way I wanted to start,” Singh said. “But I hung in there. The first three holes wasn’t the end for me. I sorted it out along the way.”

That in itself was almost as gratifying as his first-round 63. With wind picking up and the greens drying, East Lake played tougher than the first round. Only five players managed to break par for the day, and only four were still under par through 36 holes.

Furyk, coming off a victory two weeks ago in the Las Vegas Invitational and the only player in the field with a chance of surpassing David Duval atop the money list, had the only card without a bogey--a two-under 68 that left him at 135.

Hal Sutton bogeyed the 18th from the rough for a round of 67--tied with Fred Couples for the lowest of the day--and was three strokes back at 136.

Six players were at even-par 140, including Couples and Justin Leonard.

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Peter Lonard of Australia fired a six-under 66 and opened a three-stroke in the Volvo Masters at Jerez, Spain. He’s at 134 after two rounds.

Colin Montgomerie shot a 67 for a one-stroke lead over Lee Westwood in their battle for the European PGA Tour’s money title.

Montgomerie finished his two rounds with a 137 total after two eagles on the back nine and a 20-foot birdie on the 18th.

The Scot is attempting to win the money title for an unprecedented sixth year in a row.

Westwood, second in the standings, shot 68.

Darren Clarke, the only other player with a chance at the earnings title, slipped to four under after a 73.

“You feel good after holing a putt like that at the end,” Montgomerie said of his birdie. “I’m just glad I’m in a position to win the Volvo Masters. That’s what I came here to do and I’m in a reasonable position to do that. The two eagles helped today.”

Montgomerie leads with winnings of $1,276,929. Westwood has earned $1,200,884 followed by Clarke at $1,036,337.

The winner of the Volvo Masters earns $278,880.

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The United States LPGA team won five of nine opening-round matches against Japan in the Nichirei International tournament at Ina, Japan.

Pat Hurst and partner Hiromi Kobayashi on the American team had the day’s best score of 10-under 62 at Tsukuba Country Club to beat Fuki Kido and Mayumi Murai by five strokes.

Chris Johnson teamed with Betsy King for a 64 and a two-stroke victory over Japan’s Kaori Higo and Yuri Kawanami.

The other three U.S. victories were scored by Rosie Jones and Sherri Steinhauer, Emilee Klein and Janice Moodie and Lisa Hackney and Charlotta Sorenstam.