Britain's Lee Westwood overcame a slow start in gusting winds with birdies on the last three holes to grab a share of the lead with American Garrett Willis in the St. Jude Classic second round Friday. The English world No. 3, a stroke ahead of the field overnight after opening with a superb seven-under-par 63, had slipped back into the pack after covering the first 15 holes in one over. However, Westwood ended his round with a triple flourish to fire a two-under 68 and join Willis (65) at the top with a nine-under total of 131 at the TPC Southwind. Westwood, the highest-ranked player in the field, is seeking his first title on the PGA Tour since the 1998 New Orleans Classic. Long-haired Charley Hoffman was a further stroke back after shooting a 65, one ahead of fellow American Robert Garrigus and Swede Robert Karlsson who carded matching 66s. The cut fell at one-over 141 with 81 players advancing to the third round. British world No. 6 Ian Poulter and twice champion Justin Leonard of the US were among those missing out in the final PGA Tour event before next week's US Open at Pebble Beach. Bjorn leads Estoril Open In Portugal, Thomas Bjorn of Denmark withstood a strong challenge from Richard Green of Australia to build a three-shot lead at the end of the third round of the Estoril Open Saturday. The 39-year-old Bjorn has not won since recording his ninth European Tour victory at the Irish Open in 2006. However, after a second straight 7-under 65 took him to 19-under, Bjorn believed he had refound some of the form that earned him two winning Ryder Cup caps early in his career. “I only played so-so at the beginning of my round,” said Bjorn, who made just one birdie in his first eight holes. “But I hung in, stayed patient, and once I started making birdies they came thick and fast. And the last couple of weeks I have begun to get my self-belief back. “Sometimes you can lose your way in golf and wonder whether you will ever play well but now I have started to feel great again.” Green worked his way to the top of the leaderboard during a playing partnership with Wales' Bradley Dredge which threatened to turn the final 36 holes of the tournament into their own personal two-man battle. Green and Dredge began their rounds at 8 under, four shots off the lead, but then picked up 12 shots against par between them in their opening 11 holes. Green had six birdies while Dredge had five birdies, a successful eagle putt from 10-feet on the 8th green, but one bogey. Their paths, however, diverted at the par-four 14th where Dredge hit his first two shots in rough, then found a greenside bunker where he needed more to get himself out of the hazard and took a triple bogey seven. Green went onto equal the 16-year-old course record with an 8-under 64 which took him to 16 under and outright second place, but Dredge's 3-under 69 eventually left him eight shots off the lead. In third place at 14 under was Ireland's Damien McGrane after a bogey-free 68, with Argentina's Daniel Vancsik, and Englishmen Robert Rock and Robert Coles a shot further back in joint fourth. England's Chris Wood, at 81 the highest world-ranked player in the field, shot a third round 65 to earn a share of seventh place, but at seven shots behind Bjorn he left himself with a lot of ground to make up. Hur seizes one-stroke lead In Illinois, M.J. Hur chipped in twice for birdie Friday as she posted her second straight 66 and seized a one-stroke lead over fellow South Korean Amy Yang in the LPGA State Farm Classic. Hur's 12-under total of 132 put her atop the leaderboard by one after Yang posted a 65 for 11-under 133. American Cristie Kerr shot a 67 for 134, where she was joined by South Koreans Inbee Park (67) and Na Yeon Choi (69) and Canada's Alena Sharp (68). Hur played her round in a steady morning breeze. Yang played in the afternoon's gusting winds, which made scoring tougher. She was one of just three players to go low in the afternoon. Hur teed off on 10 and birdied five of her first seven holes. She dropped a shot at the par-five first, but rebounded with back-to-back birdies at six and seven. Hur was unpredictable off the tee, but compensated with a sparkling short game.
