Lawrie, Franco Quietly Take Lead

British Open champion Paul Lawrie is at his best when all eyes are on someone else.

With most of the attention on Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia in their first round playing together in competition, Lawrie sloshed his way through 35 holes and three shots Friday to grab a share of the lead with Carlos Franco in the NEC Invitational at Akron, Ohio.

Lawrie played only his first tee shot Thursday in the $5-million World Golf Championship event before play was suspended because of storms. He had a three-under-par 67 in the morning, then followed with a 68 to head into the weekend at 135.

Franco, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour in his rookie season, played 31 holes and had rounds of 68 and 67.

Phil Mickelson, Hal Sutton and Nick Price were one stroke back at 136, each looking for his first victory of the year.

Woods, who finished off a 66 in the morning to lead after the first round, couldn’t get anything going with his putter in a second-round 71. Garcia managed an even-par 70 and was tied with Woods at three under.

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Ben Bates and Danny Briggs each carded six-under 66s at the Reno-Tahoe Open in Nevada. Bates, at nine under after two rounds, leads Briggs by one stroke.

Sixteen golfers are within four strokes of the lead entering the weekend--including John Cook, Bob Tway, Stewart Cink, Woody Austin and David Toms, all at six under.

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Hale Irwin overtook Larry Nelson with a second-round 65 in the second round of the $1.35-million Canadian Senior Open in Montreal.

Irwin, who has five victories this year, posted a two-round total of 132 and led Nelson by a stroke.

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Dottie Pepper matched the tournament record with a nine-under 63 and took a five-stroke lead after two rounds of the Oldsmobile Classic at East Lansing, Mich. The 36-hole margin is also a record for the eight-year tournament.