Els (67) Up by Two as Doral Gets Scary

Even with 25-mph gusts making Doral’s Blue Monster play two strokes harder, the Big Easy made it look like a breeze Friday in the Genuity Championship.

Ernie Els saved par from thick rough behind the 18th green to polish off a five-under-par 67 and take a two-stroke lead over Briny Baird going into the weekend at Miami, with Tiger Woods lurking four strokes back and in serious contention for the first time this year.

Els, at 11-under 133, is the only player in the field without a bogey. Baird had a 66 and will be in the final group today in his hometown.

Woods was in the group at 137 after an adventurous two-under 70, the first time he has broken par in the second round this year.

Others were not so lucky:

* Chris DiMarco, the first-round leader at 65, shot a 79 and narrowly made it to the weekend.

* Davis Love III took a quintuple-bogey 9 on the par-four third hole. He missed the cut, shooting a 77 for a 147 total.

* British Open champion David Duval made only three pars in his first 10 holes, had a 73 and missed the cut for the first time since last year at Pebble Beach.

Ty Tryon kept his streak going. The 17-year-old has yet to break par as a professional, posting a 77 to miss the cut.

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Kasumi Fujii shot a nine-under 61 to take a two-stroke lead over defending champion Lorie Kane during the second round of the season-opening Takefuji Classic at Waikoloa, Hawaii.

Fujii, one of two Japanese tour players who received sponsor exemptions, took advantage of mild and balmy conditions at Waikoloa Beach Resort to finish two rounds at 13-under 127. Kane had a 66 and was one shot ahead of Annika Sorenstam.

Michelle Wie, 12, the youngest player to earn a spot in an LPGA Tour event through a Monday qualifier, shot a 74 to finish two rounds at 146. The 5-foot-10 seventh grader from Honolulu missed the cut by three strokes.

“The best part was being inside the ropes,” she said. “Before, I would always have to be on the outside.”

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Australia’s Karrie Webb shot an even-par 72 for a share of the second-round lead with Norway’s Suzann Pettersen in the Women’s Australian Open at Melbourne.

Pettersen shot a 70 to match Webb at four-under 140 on the Yarra Yarra Golf Club course.