KUALA LUMPUR — Spaniard Alejandro Canizares picked up three shots in his last four holes to card a spot-free seven-under-par 65 and surge into a tie for the lead with champion Lee Westwood at the halfway stage of the Malaysian Open Friday. Former world No. 1 Westwood, tied for the lead overnight with Ryder Cup teammate Graeme McDowell, produced a 67 in his second round in the $3 million event at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club that is co-sanctioned by the European and Asian tours. The Englishman, who also won the event in 1997, mixed six birdies with a lone bogey in his second round to open up a three-shot lead at one point, but a strong finish from Canizares for the lowest score this week left him equal on 11-under. The duo were three strokes ahead of Austrian Bernd Wiesberger (66) in third on eight-under, with England's Paul Waring (68) and Ireland's Peter Lawrie (66) a stroke further back in fourth. Canizares came to Malaysia riding some good form having already finished 12th in Abu Dhabi and eighth in Qatar this year, and he will hope to finish even higher this week. McDowell's round was spoiled by a bogey and a double-bogey on the 11th and 12th holes and he finished on 73, for a two-day total of five-under and eighth place. Pancake leads LPGA Classic In Bahamas, Brooke Pancake fired a six-under 67 Thursday to grab a one-shot lead in the weather-disrupted first round of the Bahamas LPGA Classic. Pancake, starting her third full season on the LPGA Tour, is seeking her first career win. In fact, she has yet to nab a top-10 finish in her 39 starts. The American was one stroke in front of former world No. 1 Park In-bee of South Korea and Americans Brittany Lincicome and Natalie Gulbis, who were all in the clubhouse on five-under 68. Spain's Azahara Munoz carded a 69 on the Ocean Club Golf Course at Atlantis Resort. She was joined in the clubhouse on four-under by American Gerina Piller and Thailand's Ariya Jutanugarn, while France's Joanna Klatten was four-under through 12 holes when play was halted by heavy rain that left the course unplayable. The world No. 1 spot by teenager Lydia Ko enjoyed a round highlighted by an eagle at the seventh and three birdies on the back nine. She was one-under par through eight holes when play was suspended. — Agencies
