Lee Westwood took advantage of a couple of putting errors by money-list rival Rory McIlroy to grab a two-shot lead after the second round of the season-ending Dubai World Championship Friday. Westwood birdied the 18th, a tough par-five, to shoot a three-under 69 for a nine-under tally of 135. Fellow Briton McIlroy (69) shared second spot on 137 with overnight leader Robert Allenby of Australia (72), Colombian Camilo Villegas (71), South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen (66), Briton Ross McGowan (66) and Ireland's Padraig Harrington (69). Triple major winner Harrington twice found water as he carded a double-bogey seven at the last hole. “I didn't even know there was a water hazard left of the green,” the Irishman told reporters. “I'm glad it's not Sunday when I did it but Friday.” Westwood, second behind Race to Dubai money-list leader McIlroy, was two shots adrift of his young rival after the Northern Irishman powered to the turn in 31 with three birdies and an eagle three courtesy of a superb approach to three feet at the seventh. However, missed putts of three and two feet for bogeys on 14 and 15 meant the 20-year-old McIlroy handed the initiative back to the Englishman. Like McIlroy, Westwood opened with two birdies in a row but then saw several chances go begging. “It was a case of patience being a virtue and all good things coming to those who wait,” said Westwood, 36, after rounding off his day by sinking a 20-foot putt. The two other players who can take the order of merit crown Sunday, Martin Kaymer and Ross Fisher, were well off the pace. A 71 helped German Kaymer finish on two-under 142 while Briton Fisher was on 144 after another 71. Ochoa seizes lead Lorena Ochoa, battling Jiyai Shin for LPGA Player of the Year honors, fired a first-round 66 Thursday to hold a one-shot lead in the LPGA's season-ending Tour Championship in Houston. Ochoa was one shot in front of Reilley Rankin, and nothing at the top was set to change when the four groups who failed to finish because of darkness returned to complete their rounds Friday morning. Shin, the South Korean who has already wrapped up Rookie of the Year honors and brought an eight-point lead over Ochoa in the Player of the Year race into the tournament, carded a 70. American Michelle Wie, fresh from her first professional triumph at the Ochoa-hosted LPGA event in Mexico last week, was hampered by a sprained left ankle as she shot a 72. Wie, who first hurt her ankle at the Solheim Cup in August, went for treatment but later withdrew from the event. Kuboya tied for lead Overnight leader Kenichi Kuboya birdied the 18th hole to share a three-way Japanese lead after the second round in the Dunlop Phoenix men's golf tournament Friday. Starting the day with a three-stroke lead, Kuboya hit three birdies against three bogeys before adding the last birdie for a 70 for a two-round total of seven-under-par 135 to be tied with Tetsuji Hiratsuka and Yudai Maeda. Edoardo Molinari of Italy shared the fourth place with Japan's Ryuichi Oda one stroke further back, followed by Tadahiro Takayama of Japan on 137.
