Rose Leads by Four When Darkness Comes

Justin Rose, coming off a 12-under-par 60 on Thursday, was 17 under through 16 holes when the second round of the Funai Classic at Lake Buena Vista, Fla., was suspended because of darkness. Clubhouse leader Tag Ridings was second, four strokes back after a 66.

Rose also had a four-shot lead when the round started after a 70-minute fog delay. He shot the 60 on the Palm Course and barely missed three putts over the final six holes that left him one stroke from tying the PGA Tour scoring record.

He was nearly as good Friday on the much tougher Magnolia Course.

“The enjoyable thing as a pro golfer is being in that focused zone,” Rose said. “It doesn’t come around every day or every week.”

Rose started the second round with consecutive birdies. He added four more over a five-hole stretch to extend his lead to seven strokes.

“You have to come back with a completely fresh mind-set and almost forget about the day before,” Rose said. “Starting birdie-birdie was a good thing and got me back on the horse.”

Ridings was at 13-under 131. Troy Matteson (65) was 12 under, and Robert Damron (65) and Marco Dawson (66) were another stroke behind.

Rose was among eight players on the course when play ended. The second round will be completed this morning. He will finish his last two holes, then return to play in the final threesome of the third round with Ridings and Matteson.

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Heather Young and Nicole Castrale had seven-under 65s to share the lead after the opening round of the $1.3-million Honda LPGA Thailand tournament at Bangkok.

Young, the 2005 Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic winner, had a bogey-free round on the Amata Spring Country Club course. She made a 35-foot birdie putt on No. 14 and a 25-footer on No. 16, and closed with a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th.

Castrale, winless on the LPGA Tour, had eight birdies and a bogey. Meena Lee was third with a 66.

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Fred Funk got off to a fast start in his third Champions Tour start, shooting a six-under 65 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the AT&T; Championship at San Antonio.

The 50-year-old Funk, a seven-time winner on the PGA Tour who has made 24 of 28 cuts on the regular tour this year, had six birdies in his bogey-free round.