Love’s 66 Lifts Him Into Lead

If Davis Love III has a secret about playing at Harbour Town, he’s not telling.

“Guys are kind of like, ‘Well, what is he doing? Here he goes again. How does he do it?’ ” said Love, whose five-under-par 66 Friday lifted him into the lead at eight-under 134 after two rounds of the MCI Classic at Hilton Head Island, S.C. “You can tell that maybe they think I know something that they don’t. But I don’t.”

Love, a four-time champion in the event, looked every bit at home as he does in nearby Sea Island, Ga., cutting through cold, damp conditions to move a stroke ahead of Ernie Els.

Els, second at the Masters, shot a 67.

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Defending champion Juli Inkster shot a five-under 67 and took a one-stroke lead over Carin Koch and Brandie Burton after two rounds of the LPGA Longs Drugs Challenge at Lincoln, Calif. Inkster is at 137, seven under. . . . Five inches of rain in 12 hours wiped out play in the PGA Seniors’ Championship at Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Weather permitting, the first round will be finished and the second round completed today.

Gymnastics

UCLA scored 197.3 points, never falling on any apparatus, and locked up the team title before starting the final event, the beam, at the NCAA women’s gymnastics championships in Boise, Idaho.

Utah placed second at 196.875, almost half a point behind the Bruins. Georgia was third (196.8), followed by Nebraska (196.725) and Alabama (196.5). Michigan, expected to challenge for the title, was sixth (195.725).

Miscellany

The University of Minnesota has been subpoenaed to provide information about academic fraud in the men’s basketball program and former star Bobby Jackson’s eligibility and courses.

Meanwhile, university officials might sue former basketball coach Clem Haskins to get back at least some of the buyout money he received last year.

Haskins accepted a $1.5-million contract buyout.

The Kansas City Chiefs cut return specialist Tamarick Vanover, who has agreed to cooperate with federal authorities investigating wide-ranging drug and car theft rings. Vanover pleaded guilty in February to aiding and assisting in the sale of a car that was stolen from Kansas City and sold in Tallahassee, Fla., Vanover’s hometown. . . . Former Chief running back Bam Morris was jailed in Kansas City, Mo., on charges that he and two other suspects conspired to distribute at least 220 pounds of marijuana. . . . Basil Proctor of the Arena Football League’s Iowa Barnstormers, who will serve eight months in jail after admitting to having sex with a 15-year-old emotionally disturbed girl, will not play in today’s opener at Arizona. No decision has been made about Proctor’s status for the rest of the season. . . . Four Providence College basketball players--Donta Wade, Llewellyn Cole, David Murray and Jamaal Camah--pleaded not guilty in Providence, R.I., to assault charges stemming from an off-campus fight that left three students injured.

Turkish soccer fans were barred from attending a game in England for fear they would be attacked in retaliation for the stabbing deaths of two English fans last week in Istanbul.

Second-seeded Henry Mak of Irvine won his match in the first round of the boys’ 16 division at the Easter Bowl Junior Tennis Championship at Riviera Resort and Racquet Club in Palm Springs. Mak, who attends University High, defeated unseeded Steven Liao of Sugarland, Texas, 7-5, 6-2. Matthew Loucks of Irvine, seeded ninth in the boys’ 16s, defeated unseeded Michael Flowers of Memphis, Tenn., 6-2, 6-0, in the first round. Also in the boys’ 16s, unseeded Patrick Buchanan of Servite High defeated 16th-ranked Colin Purcell of Louisville, Ky., 7-5, 6-1. . . . Two-time champion Michael Chang overcame a rocky first set to beat Chris Woodruff, 7-6 (4), 6-1, and reach the semifinals of the Galleryfurniture.com Tennis Challenge at Duluth, Ga. . . . Andrei Medvedev of Ukraine defeated fourth-seeded Tim Henman of England, 6-2, 6-3, to reach the semifinals of the Estoril Open at Oeiras, Portugal. In the women’s quarterfinals, top-seeded Anke Huber of Germany advanced with a 6-3, 7-6 (2) victory over Cristina Torrens-Valero of Spain. . . . Steady rain washed out play in the Bausch & Lomb Championships at Amelia Island, Fla. . . . Andre Agassi withdrew from next week’s Monte Carlo Open after suffering a hamstring injury.

Rain washed out qualifying for the Touchstone Energy 300 Busch Series event at Talladega, Ala. The 43-car field for today’s race was set based on point standings, meaning Todd Bodine got the pole.