IRVING, Texas, 16 May 2004 — Tiger Woods moved into a one-shot lead after two rounds of the Byron Nelson Championship on Friday after shooting a three-under-par 67 that left the world No. 1 on eight-under 132.

Woods, playing on the Cottonwood Valley Golf Course, carded four birdies and one bogey to hold a slim advantage over his friend Mark O’Meara in the two-course event.

O’Meara, who won the Dubai Desert Classic earlier this season on the European Tour but is without a PGA Tour victory since the 1998 British Open, shot a bogey-free 66 on the same course as Woods.

Spain’s Sergio Garcia, playing at the TPC at Four Seasons, climbed into a share of third place on 134 with Sweden’s Daniel Chopra, Jerry Kelly, Jonathan Byrd and first-round co-leader Peter Lonard of Australia.

Defending champion and world No. 2 Vijay Singh of Fiji continued his run of good form to jump into a tie for eighth on 135 with Australia’s Stephen Leaney and US PGA champion Shaun Micheel.

Five of the top six players in the world rankings are in the field this week.

In addition to Woods and Singh, world number three Ernie Els of South Africa is on one-under 139, while Canada’s Mike Weir, the world number six, is one shot better on 138.

US Masters champion Phil Mickelson, the world’s fifth-ranked player, slipped to a two-over 72 at Cottonwood Valley and missed the cut, which came on even-par 140, by one shot. Mickelson bogeyed the 17th hole, then could muster only a par at the closing hole.

Mickelson has finished in the top 10 on 10 occasions this season but the missed cut represents his first in the 12 tournaments he has competed in.

Norman Disqualified, Dyson Streaks Into Six-Shot Lead

In Shanghai, Australian legend Greg Norman was sensationally disqualified from the BMW Asian Open yesterday as England’s Simon Dyson put one hand on the trophy with a sizzling 66 to open up a six-shot lead going into the final round.

Dyson, who started his professional career in Asia, had six birdies on the front nine and parred in for a total of 15-under-par 201 at Tomson Golf Club.

He is six clear of Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez, who double bogeyed the last for a 70, and Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng, in with a 67.

Former world No. 1 Norman, the main drawcard at the first European Tour event to be staged in China, signed for a 71 which would have placed him joint 8th and 9 shots behind Dyson but was disqualified after reviewing television footage of an incident at the par-three 17th hole.

Norman, who turns 50 next February, hit into the water at the hole and, assuming it was a lateral hazard, took a drop. But the water was marked by a yellow line and he should have gone back to the drop zone or the tee.

Prayad, who plays most of his golf on the lucrative Japan Tour, had two spectacular hole outs from the fairway. He holed a nine iron from 144 yards for an eagle two at the first hole and then sank his sandwedge chip from 50 yards at the 10th hole. Defending champion Padraig Harrington, the world No. 8, shot a one-over-par 73 after successive 72s to fall well out of contention.

Hurst, Ochoa Share Lead at Rain-Delayed LPGA

In Franklin, Tennessee, Pat Hurst grabbed a share of the 36-hole lead Friday along with Mexico’s Lorena Ochoa at the rain-delayed LPGA Franklin Championship, posting a three-under-par 69 at the Vanderbilt Legends Club.

Play was suspended for the day with 26 players still on the course, and the second round was to be completed this morning.

Able to overcome the wind and avoid the rain at the Ironhorse Course, Hurst matched Ochoa’s 36-hole total of seven-under 137, a stroke better than Wendy Ward, Nancy Scranton and Dorothy Delasin.

The LPGA Tour is back in Tennessee after a one-year hiatus, one that wasn’t thought of fondly by Hurst. While she is a native of California and lives in Arizona, Hurst loves Tennessee.