After 64, Hoch Leads Sarazen World Open

Calling it “one of my best-striking rounds ever,” Scott Hoch shot a course-record eight-under-par 64 for a two-shot lead over defending champion Frank Nobilo halfway through the $1.9-million Sarazen World Open golf championship Friday at Braselton, Ga.

“This is the first time I can remember hitting every fairway and every green,” Hoch said after his second trip around the hilly 6,967-yard Legends course at Chateau Elan left him with a 12-under 132 total for 36 holes.

Nobilo bogeyed his fourth hole of the day when he three-putted from 40 feet, then played the final 14 holes in five under to shoot 68 for a 134 total.

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Jimmy Powell and Walter Morgan shot five-under 65s and tied for the first-round lead in the Emerald Coast senior tournament at Milton, Fla.

Morgan had five birdies but missed a couple more when putts lipped out at The Moors Golf Club, a par-70, 6,719-yard course that is almost treeless and ranks as one of the most difficult on the senior tour.

Tennis

Stefan Edberg’s next-to-last tournament ended with Thomas Enqvist defeating him in the quarterfinals of the Paris Open, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6).

Edberg, who is retiring, will end his tournament career next week at Stockholm, although he and Enqvist could be on Sweden’s Davis Cup team that plays France in the final later this month.

Boris Becker pulled out of the Stockholm Open because of an inflamed tendon in his right ankle. Becker’s manager, Axel Meyer-Woelden, in announcing the withdrawal, also criticized “the unfortunate tournament scheduling,” saying the Paris Open came right after another top event, the Eurocard Open in Stuttgart, and contributed to the injury. Becker lost his opening match at the Paris Open.

Top-seeded Conchita Martinez of Spain ousted Belgian Sabine Appelmans, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, in the semifinals of the Kremlin Cup tournament at Moscow. Martinez will play second-seeded Barbara Paulus of Austria for the title.

Paulus defeated Barbara Schett, another Austrian, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.

Jennifer Capriati advanced to the semifinals of the Ameritech Cup in Chicago when Meredith McGrath defaulted because of a sore knee. Capriati was leading, 4-2, at the time.

Martina Hingis let a 4-1 second-set lead get away, then stormed back in the third set to oust third-seeded Lindsay Davenport, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2.

Motor Sports

Bobby Labonte didn’t have the fastest car in practice but still won the pole for Sunday’s Jiffy Lube 300 at Homestead, Fla., the NASCAR Busch Grand National season finale. Labonte turned a lap of 139.074 mph. . . . Ken Schrader captured the pole position for the inaugural Las Vegas 300K NASCAR Winston West Series event with a lap of 158.884 mph at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. . . . Rookie Bryan Reffner upstaged a brigade of NASCAR Winston Cup drivers, driving the fastest lap in Craftsman Truck Series history (157.909 mph) to win the pole for the Carquest Auto Parts 420K at Las Vegas.

Miscellany

The NCAA restored the eligibility of four Texas players who had lunch with an agent. The players--receiver Mike Adams, cornerback Bryant Westbrook and safeties Tre Thomas and Chris Carter--will not start against Baylor today but all are expected to play.

Detroit Lion quarterback Scott Mitchell is listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers because of a rib injury. Mitchell was benched in favor of backup Don Majkowski in a 35-7 loss to the New York Giants last Sunday.

Goals by Jon Mario Ramirez and Juan Pablo Angel earned Colombia a 2-1 victory over Honduras in front of 31,000 at New York’s Shea Stadium in a warmup for both teams as they prepare for World Cup ’98 qualifying games. Renau scored the Honduran goal.