Relaxed Leonard leads at Disney

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. --- Justin Leonard is one of the few players not feeling any pressure this week to secure his PGA Tour card next year.

He's already got that in hand. That much is clear from his play.

Leonard shot 8-under-par 64 in the second round of the Children's Miracle Network Classic at Walt Disney Resort on Friday, surging to the top of the leaderboard in the final Tour event of the season.

Justin Rose (69) and George McNeill (66) are tied for second place, two strokes back.

"Any time I can come out and do that and play a nice, relaxed round where there's not a lot of pressure, I'm giving myself a lot of chances," he said. "It just makes the game easier."

Former Louisville, Ga., resident Brian Gay had 71 and is at 139 and Augusta native Charles Howell had his second consecutive 70 and is at 140.

Leonard had 11 birdies and three bogeys on a sun-baked day at Disney World, where the 15 mph winds caused problems for some players.

Only those who finish in the top 125 on the money list are guaranteed full status. The next 25 will at least get conditional status and be able to enter more than a dozen tournaments.

Former world No. 1 David Duval missed the cut, which fell at 142, and was among those who will likely lose their cards. Duval, a former British Open champion, shot 76-73--149.

AUSTRALIAN MASTERS: In Melbourne, Australia, Tiger Woods opened with two birdies, saved his round with two pars and wound up with 4-under 68 to build a three-shot lead going into the weekend of the Australian Masters.

It was the fourth consecutive tournament in which Woods has had the 36-hole lead, although his only victory during that stretch came at the BMW Championship outside Chicago in September. He lost the past two times, including last week in Shanghai at the HSBC Champions.

Woods was at 10-under 134, three shots clear of an American -- Jason Dufner -- and a pair of Australians in Greg Chalmers and James Nitties, both of whom dropped shots on the 17th hole that cost them a spot in the final group Saturday with Woods.

Before another enthusiastic crowd that topped 24,000 people who endured hot sunshine and dust from so much traffic along sandy paths at Kingston Heath, Woods quickly regained the lead from Dufner, who shot his 67 in the morning to finish at 7-under 137.

LPGA TOUR: In Guadalajara, Mexico, Jiyai Shin took a big step toward adding the LPGA Tour player of the year award to her top rookie trophy, shooting 6-under-par 66 for a three-stroke lead in the Lorena Ochoa Invitational.

The 21-year-old South Korean star, a three-time winner this year who has a four-point lead over Ochoa in the player of the year race, is at 11-under 133 on the Guadalajara Country Club course.

Michelle Wie (66) and Paula Creamer (69) are tied for second, and first-round leader Song-Hee Kim (72) was four strokes back at 7-under.

Suzann Pettersen (67), Brittany Lincicome (70), Cristie Kerr (70), Brittany Lang (70) and Mariajo Uribe (72) were 5-under. Ochoa was 4-under after a 69 on her home course.

If Shin wins this week she'll wrap up the player of the year award if Ochoa fails to finish at least seventh.

If not, the title will be decided next week in Houston in the season-ending LPGA Tour Championship.

EUROPEAN/ASIAN TOUR: In Hong Kong, Liang Wenchong shot a bogey-free 5-under-par 65 to move into a four-way tie for the lead after the second round of the Hong Kong Open.

Liang shares the lead at 9-under 131 with Charl Schwartzel (66), Gregory Bourdy (67) and Robert-Jan Derksen (68).

Rory Sabbatini (67) and Chinnarat Phadungsil (66) are one stroke behind the leaders.

Former Augusta State golfer Oliver Wilson missed the cut after rounds of 70-72--142.