Former Masters champion Zach Johnson charged into a share of the lead in the Chevron World Challenge first round Thursday. In the absence of troubled tournament host Tiger Woods, the straight-hitting Johnson took advantage of ideal scoring conditions to fire a four-under-par 68 at Sherwood Country Club. Johnson ended a day of dazzling sunshine and hardly any wind level with Britain's Ian Poulter, who held a two-shot lead over his 17 rivals in the elite field before double-bogeying the last. Ireland's three-time major winner Padraig Harrington opened with a 69 to finish a stroke in front of Americans Jim Furyk and Stewart Cink and South Korean Yang Yong-eun. Poulter, feeling a little jaded after playing in Asia for the five previous weeks, was frustrated by his sloppy finish which featured a wild tee shot into trees and a three-putt on the 18th. European number one and world No. 4 Lee Westwood briefly held a share of the lead with Poulter at five under before dropping four shots in the last five holes for a 71. The absence from Sherwood of 14-times major champion Woods, who pulled out of the event citing injuries from a car crash outside his Florida home last week, has been a major talking point for the fans this week and Johnson said the atmosphere on Thursday was noticeably different. Appleby storms ahead Home favorite Stuart Appleby took advantage of an early start to race into a six-shot lead at the Australian Open Friday as a five-hour delay due to high winds left the second round incomplete and players frustrated. The 2001 champion fired a second consecutive six-under-par 66 for a two round total of 12-under 132 to leave him ahead of former world No. 3 Adam Scott, who was two-under for the day after managing six holes before bad light stopped play. Teeing off from the 10th, Appleby opened his round with two pars at the New South Wales course before play was suspended after gusts of up to 40mph (64kph) forced the stoppage just over one hour after the second round began. Appleby, an eight times winner on the PGA Tour, returned after the break to record five birdies and a bogey in his round, highlighted by a long putt for eagle on the 18th. Australian Brett Rumford racked up a quintuple-bogey eight at the par-three second after his tee shot landed near the flag then rolled off the green. Former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy (76) was one of those who struggled in the high winds and could miss the cut as he finished on 149 five-over in a tie for 65th place. Chan stays ahead Taiwan's Chan Yih-shin held on to his lead at the King's Cup in Thailand with a battling one-over-par 73 Friday but six players were hot on his heels. Rahil Gangjee of India finished the day in tied second place at the 300,000 dollar event, alongside compatriots Harmeet Kahlon (67) and Anirban Lahiri (72), South Korea's Kim Dae-hyun (68), Lin Wen-hong of Taiwan (71) and Scotland's Ross Bain (69) on matching 138s.
