Sabbatini (65) Races to Lead in Mercedes

Rory Sabbatini came to the Mercedes Championships at Kapalua, Hawaii, for the first time with high hopes and limited expectations. So much changed in a short period of time Saturday.

Sabbatini holed a sand wedge shot from 96 yards for eagle on No. 16, part of a four-shot swing over two holes as midway leader Ernie Els went into a free fall.

Despite missing a great birdie chance on the last hole, Sabbatini, a 24-year-old South African, had an eight-under-par 65, and, with a two-stroke lead over Vijay Singh, was in position for his second PGA Tour victory.

Asked if he was amazed to be eight strokes ahead of Tiger Woods, Sabbatini replied, “It’s amazing to be ahead of half the field.”

Sabbatini was at 16-under 203, and has played the par fives in 12 under.

Singh was pleasantly surprised to be in the final group. He was five strokes behind until he birdied the last four holes and wound up with a 67.

Woods, the defending champion, missed eight putts inside 15 feet in a round of 68 and was so frustrated that he jokingly muttered to caddie Steve Williams at one point, “You think I should try cross-handed?”

But the real frustration belonged to Els.

The player known as the “Big Easy” had the tournament under control until he collapsed on the par fives on the back nine of the Plantation Course, twice having to take penalty drops because of errant tee shots.

When he missed a three-foot bogey putt on the final hole, Els had an even-par 73 on a surprisingly calm day in Maui, a day in which none of the 33 players was over par.

David Duval, the ’99 champion, matched Sabbatini with a 65 for the low round of the tournament and was six strokes back.

Jim Furyk had this third straight 69 and was tied with Els, four strokes back.

*

Lee Porter took a two-stroke lead in the weather-delayed Tucson Open, shooting a seven-under 65 in the second round at Tucson National.

Even making the cut is a departure for the 34-year-old veteran of the Japanese, European, Asian, South American, Canadian and Buy.com tours; he has finished in the money only 44 times in 123 previous PGA Tour events.

“I’ve never led on this tour,” Porter said. “It’s a new position for me, but you’ve got to be there sometime.”

Porter, who had a 10-under 134 total, didn’t leave himself much room for error, with 1996 U.S. Open champion Steve Jones and 1994 Tucson winner Andrew Magee at 136.

Casey Martin, whose suit against the PGA Tour over the use of a golf cart begins Wednesday in the U.S. Supreme Court, shot 75 at National and missed the cut.

*

Carin Koch, the Swede who clinched the Solheim Cup for the Europeans in 2000, took a one-stroke lead after the second round of the YourLife Vitamins LPGA Classic in Orlando, Fla. A victory today would mark her first LPGA title in seven years on the tour.

Among those she’ll have to hold off will be Solheim teammate Laura Davies, who shot 72 and is one stroke back at 138. Se Ri Pak (68) was one of four players at five under.

Karrie Webb, the two-time defending player of the year, shot a three-over 75 to finish at 146, closer to the cut line (148) than the lead.

Notes

Kim Williams, struck by a stray bullet seven years ago, broke her collarbone and injured her right knee in a car crash after her round Friday in the LPGA Tour event. Williams, 37, underwent knee surgery at Orlando Regional Medical Center on Saturday and was in stable condition.