Golf Roundup : Crenshaw Retains Lead; Strange Withdraws

Ben Crenshaw retained the lead Friday despite an exasperating struggle and Curtis Strange withdrew because of an injury in the second round of the World Series of Golf at Akron, Ohio.

Crenshaw, who made a double bogey-7 from behind a concession stand on the second hole, had to work hard to salvage a two-over-par 72 and a two-stroke advantage at 136 halfway through the event.

But while Crenshaw kept alive his hopes of breaking a yearlong victory drought on the American tour, Strange, who came up with a stiff neck Thursday morning, walked off the Firestone Country Club course after playing the front side in 40, five over par.

“I didn’t want to hurt myself,” Strange said. “Whenever I would swing hard, it hurt. Anytime I had to go at it hard, it hurt. I didn’t want to take the chance of damaging myself any more.

However, by walking off the course, Strange disqualified himself from the Vardon Trophy competition, which he was leading. To win, a player must complete every round he starts.

Crenshaw’s struggle opened the gates to a number of challengers, including Australian Greg Norman, British Open champ Mark Calcavecchia and PGA title-holder Payne Stewart.

Norman, who shot a 65; Calcavecchia, who had a 67, and David Frost, with a 68, were two shots off the pace at 138.

Stewart, after a 67, was tied with four others at 139.

Ted Schulz rolled in a 40-foot eagle putt on the eighth hole to highlight a seven-under-par round of 63 and take a one-stroke lead after 36 holes of the Hamilton County-Chattanooga tournament at Chattanooga, Tenn.

Schulz, who had a first-round 66 over the par-70, 6,640-yard Valleybrook Golf and Country Club for a two-round total of 129, leads Don Shirey, who shot his second consecutive 65, by a stroke.

Morris Hatalsky and John Daly are two shots back at 131.

Patty Sheehan birdied three of the last four holes to complete a six-under-par 66 and take the lead halfway through the LPGA World Championship of women’s golf at Buford, Ga.

Sheehan, winner of 20 events in 10 pro seasons, had a 36-hole score of 136, eight shots under par on the hilly, 6,107-yard PineIsle Resort course along the shores of Lake Lanier.

Sheehan held a one-shot lead over Betsy King, a five-time winner this year and the season’s leading money winner. King shot a 71 for 137.

Defending champion Rosie Jones, who shared the first-round lead with King at 66, played par golf and was tied at 138 with British Open champion Jane Geddes, who shot 67 in the field of 16 players shooting for the $83,500 first prize.

Rookie Tina Barrett birdied four of the last five holes Friday to grab the lead in the first round of the $150,000 Mitsubishi Motors Ocean State Open at Cranston, R.I.

The fast finish gave Barrett a five-under-par 67 and a two-stroke lead over 10-year veteran Nancy Rubin.

Two-time defending champion Bob Charles and Charles Coody each shot six-under-par 66s to share the first-round lead of the $300,000 Sunwest Bank-Charley Pride Senior tournament at Albuquerque, N.M.

Jim Dent and Bobby Nichols were a shot back at 67, with the trio of Homero Blancas, Miller Barber and Tom Shaw two shots behind after shooting 68s.