GOLF ROUNDUP : O’Meara Up by 2 After Another 66

Mark O’Meara turned in his second consecutive six-under-par 66 Thursday and took a two-shot lead over rookie Jeff Maggert after two rounds of the $1-million Walt Disney World Golf Classic at Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

O’Meara, who has not won a tour event this year, had seven birdies before taking his only bogey at the 18th hole on the 6,957-yard Palm course, one of three courses being used for the tournament.

“Earlier in the week, I just wanted to putt better,” O’Meara said. “I made a few putts today.”

Maggert, last year’s Hogan Tour player of the year, shot his second consecutive 67 in quest of his first PGA Tour championship and this week’s $180,000 winner’s share.

“I feel like I’m ready to win,” Maggert said. “I’ve just expected it to happen one time or another and hopefully this will be the week.”

Fuzzy Zoeller, who has not won a PGA event in more than five years, was three shots back at 135 along with David Peoples and Larry Nelson, who shared the first-round lead with Corey Pavin and Steve Elkington.

“Today was the opposite of yesterday,” said Nelson, a two-time winner at the Disney. “I hit it good, but didn’t make anything. It was just hard to make some putts.”

Colin Montgomerie defeated Mark Calcavecchia, 5 and 4, in the opening round of the World Match Play tournament at Virginia Water, England.

At the Ryder Cup matches three weeks ago, Calcavecchia blew a four-hole lead with four holes to play as the Scot fought back to halve the match.

This time, Montgomerie birdied the first and was never behind.

Bill Andrade beat Tom Purtzer, 3 and 2, in an all-U.S. first round match, Fred Couples beat Japan’s Joe Ozaki, 4 and 3, and Zimbabwe’s Nick Price defeated England’s Steven Richardson, 5 and 3.

Today’s second round brings in the top-seeded players. Andrade faces Masters champion Ian Woosnam of Wales, Couples meets Seve Ballesteros, Montgomerie plays England’s Nick Faldo and Price challenges British Open titlist Ian Baker-Finch of Australia.