VIRGINIA WATER, England, 29 May 2005 — Argentina’s Angel Cabrera birdied the last two holes to share the third-round lead with Sweden’s Peter Hedblom after a wind-buffeted day at the BMW Championship yesterday.

Cabrera, who shared third place at last week’s Irish Open, fired a super six-under-par 66 in tough conditions at Wentworth Club’s West Course to finish on 10-under 206.

Hedblom, the surprise overnight pacesetter, recovered from a stumbling start and holed a 12-foot birdie putt at the last for a 73 to join Cabrera at the top of the leaderboard.

British Ryder Cup player David Howell, lifted by an eagle-eagle finish, matched Cabrera’s 66 to finish a further stroke back in a tie for third with Irishman Paul McGinley (72).

The 35-year-old Cabrera began the day seven strokes off the lead but, with most of the field struggling in the swirling winds, he steadily made up the ground.

Cabrera sandwiched a string of pars around a birdie-two at the fifth to reach the turn in one-under 34.

After running up his only bogey of the day at the 168-yard 10th, where he hit an eight-iron off the tee over the back of the green, he picked up six more shots over the closing stretch, including a chip-in from 30 feet for eagle at the par-five 12th. Englishman Howell, who has lost out in playoffs for the last two European Tour events, produced what he described as his best round of the year.

World No. 3 and Wentworth resident Ernie Els was among those to suffer in the conditions, returning a 75 to finish at one over par — 11 strokes off the lead.

Colin Montgomerie, whose hopes of automatically qualifying for next month’s US Open were effectively blown away by the gusting winds, carded a second successive 73 to join Els at one over.

Leonard Takes Command at St. Jude Classic

In Memphis, Justin Leonard is threatening to run away with the St Jude Classic in Memphis, Tennessee after firing a second round five-under par 65 on Friday widening his lead to five strokes over Swede Fredrik Jacobson.

The American, who shot a sizzling opening round eight-under 62 to hold a two-stroke overnight lead, had a par, birdie, bogey roller coaster start to his day but was error free the rest of the way at the TPC at Southwind leaving him on 13-under 127. A winner has just one bogey on his scorecard through two rounds.

Jacobson, whose battle with persistent flu and poor form has seen him miss the cut in seven of his last nine events, got off to a blistering start with birdies on the first three holes. The Swede went on to card the best round of the day at Southwind, a flawless six-under 64 to sit alone in second on eight-under 132.

Sorenstam Shares Lead at Weather-Disrupted Corning Classic

In Corning, New York, Annika Sorenstam shrugged off a lengthy weather delay Friday to grab a share of the lead at the $1.1 million LPGA Corning Classic.

Looking to defend the second of her eight titles from 2004, Sorenstam fired a four-under-par 68 to join Sherri Turner atop the leaderboard at seven-under 137.

After a delay of nearly four hours due to heavy rain, play was suspended by darkness with 62 players on the course.

Second-round play was to resume yesterday, and the third round is expected to begin later.

Sorenstam fired six birdies, including four in a row from the ninth hole to take the outright lead. She gave back two shots with bogeys at 14 and 15.