Efficient Putting Carries Allenby

Robert Allenby made seven birdies from inside eight feet and finished the second round with a seven-under 65 on Saturday, giving him a one-stroke lead over Steve Flesch in the weather-delayed Pennsylvania Classic at Ligonier.

Half the field had to return to Laurel Valley Golf Club to complete the second round because of rain and fog delays the first two days.

Allenby had three holes left in his third round when darkness stopped play Saturday.

Rocco Mediate, who grew up about 20 miles away and is a member at Laurel Valley, trailed Allenby by two when play was stopped. Eleven players did not finish the third round.

Kris Tschetter shot a 66 to lead by two strokes at the rain-shortened Asahi Ryokuken International Championship at North Augusta, S.C. Tschetter, at 10-under 134, was two shots ahead of Laura Diaz (69), Tracy Hanson (66), Nancy Scranton (68) and Tina Fischer (66).

The LPGA cut the 72-hole tournament to 54 because of bad weather.

U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen shot a six-under 65 for a one-stroke lead after the third round of the Lancome Trophy at Saint Nom La Breteche, France. Spain’s Sergio Garcia shot a 68 and was at 201, tied with Sweden’s Niclas Fasth, who shot a 66. England’s Gary Emerson is two shots back.

Ken Venturi faces a drunk-driving charge after being arrested Thursday night and booked at the Collier County (Fla.) jail. He was released after posting bail of $750. Venturi, the 1964 U.S. Open champion, is a golf analyst for CBS.

Air Canada does not plan to renew its title sponsorship of the PGA Tour’s Greater Vancouver Open after 2002, threatening the future of the tournament.

Tennis

Australia advanced to the Davis Cup final for the third consecutive year, and France made it for the second time in three years.

In Sydney, U.S. Open champion Lleyton Hewitt defeated Thomas Johansson, 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-2, 6-1, today as Australia clinched its semifinal against Sweden, 4-1.

At Rotterdam, France advanced Saturday when the doubles team of Cedric Pioline and Fabrice Santoro defeated Paul Haarhuis and Sjeng Schalken, 7-5, 6-1, 7-5, for a 3-0 lead over the Netherlands in the best-of-five series.

Australia will play host to the final, scheduled for Nov. 30-Dec. 2.

Second-seeded Ranier Schuettler of Germany reached the final of the Shanghai Open, defeating Spain’s Francisco Clavet, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. Schuettler will face Switzerland’s Michel Kratochvil, who defeated Denmark’s Kenneth Carlsen, 6-2, 6-4.

Third-seeded Jelena Dokic upset top-seeded Kim Clijsters, 7-5, 6-4, and advanced to the final of the Toyota Princess Cup at Tokyo. Dokic will play Spain’s Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario for the title today. Sanchez-Vicario, seeded fifth, defeated compatriot Gala Leon Garcia, 6-3, 7-5, in the semifinals.

Pro Basketball

The Washington Post reported, without citing sources, that Michael Jordan would confirm “early next week, probably Monday” his decision to play for the Washington Wizards this season.

Soccer

Star striker Michael Owen has been ruled out of England’s final World Cup qualifying game against Greece on Oct. 6. The Liverpool forward, who scored three goals in England’s 5-1 victory over Germany three weeks ago, injured a hamstring Saturday.

Landon Donovan scored two first-half goals and Manny Lagos added another score as San Jose beat Columbus, 3-1, in the opening game of a Major League Soccer playoff series at Columbus, Ohio.

Alex Pineda Chacon and Diego Serna scored goals at Miami to lead the Fusion past the Kansas City Wizards, 2-0, in the opening round of the MLS playoffs.

Miscellany

The death Aug. 14 of West Virginia State softball pitcher Heather Allen was caused by a drug being injected into a vein instead of a joint during shoulder surgery, the Charleston Gazette reported.