Miyazato still in front at Safeway Classic

Golf Betting Lines

08/21/2010 - North Plains, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ai Miyazato posted a five-under 67 on Saturday to stay atop the leaderboard after the second round of the Safeway Classic.

Miyazato, the first-round leader of this 54-hole event, finished two rounds at 11-under 133 and is three strokes ahead at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club. She will be in search of her fifth win this season alone and would move back to No. 1 in the world if she emerges victorious on Sunday.

Song-Hee Kim fired an eight-under 64 on Saturday and vaulted into a tie for second place with Na Yeon Choi, who had a five-under 67. The pair is knotted at eight-under 136.

There was another player at eight-under par, but things turned out poorly.

Hall of Famer Juli Inkster shot a five-under 67 in round two, but was disqualified for violating Rule 14-3/10, Use of a Training or Swing Aid During a Round.

She was using a weighted device on her club when she was taking practice swings on the 10th tee.

"I had a 30 minute wait and I needed to loosen up. It had no effect on my game whatsoever, but it is what it is. I'm very disappointed," said Inkster.

Miyazato first broke into red figures on Saturday with a birdie at the par- four second. She parred her next three holes, but caught fire before the end of her front nine.

At the par-four sixth, Miyazato rolled in an eight-foot birdie putt. She made it two in a row with a 15-footer at the seventh and was in the lead at nine- under par.

Miyazato closed her front nine with a five-foot birdie putt at the par-five ninth, the second of three consecutive par-five holes around the turn at Pumpkin Ridge.

Miyazato took advantage of the third par five in a row thanks to a two-putt birdie. She reached 11-under par, but trouble loomed immediately for the world No. 2.

She bogeyed the par-three 11th, a hole she birdied in round one, and landed in a greenside bunker at 12. Miyazato caught way too much ball from the sand and her bunker shot sailed over the green. She didn't reach the putting surface with her fourth shot and it looked like a big number was imminent. Miyazato chipped in for a tough, albeit unlikely bogey.

"I thought there would be more sand in the bunker, but then it was a bit less than I thought," she said of her bunker shot on 12. "It was kind of too clean, because I thought that there was more sand underneath. It was really lucky I think."

After two pars, Miyazato got back on track. She hit her third 10 feet right of the flag at the par-five 15th and holed her birdie putt. One hole later, Miyazato spun her tee ball back to six feet and cashed in on the birdie chance.

She had a good look at birdie at the short, par-four 17th, but her six-footer stayed above ground. Miyazato parred the last to keep her spot atop the leaderboard.

"I just try to take it one shot at a time and I think I did really well controlling myself in between shots as well," said Miyazato.

World No. 1 Cristie Kerr (67) and former world No. 1 Jiyai Shin (68) are knotted in fourth place at minus-seven.

Ji Young Oh (64), Stacy Lewis (67), Eun-Hee Ji (69) and Jee Young Lee (71) share sixth place at six-under 138.

NOTES: If any of the top-five players in the world - Kerr, Miyazato, Shin, Suzann Pettersen or Yani Tseng - wins this week, they would assume the top spot...The 36-hole cut fell at three-over par and last year's winner M.J. Hur, Morgan Pressel and Paula Creamer missed the mark.

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El Duque expected to throw Tuesday

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.

Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.

El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.

MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds. 

Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.

New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.

Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''

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