MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Lee Westwood had heard how challenging the TPC Southwind course is when the wind blows. Now the Englishman knows for himself how true all that talk really is.
Westwood scrambled to birdie his final three holes in grabbing a share of a one-stroke lead Friday with Garrett Willis after the second round of the St. Jude Classic with the winds gusting up to 22 mph. Westwood, making his Memphis debut this week as part of his tuneup for next week's U.S. Open, said that made it tricky judging shots after seeing no wind Thursday.
"You've got to be on the fairway to attack the flags, and I just didn't hit it close enough to the flag early on," he said. "So it was a day of patience and battling, and I was rewarded at the end of the round with three birdies for doing that."
Westwood had a one-stroke lead after his opening 65, and the world's No. 3-ranked player dropped two strokes off the pace with two bogeys. He rolled in a 26-footer for birdie on No. 17, and then hit a 9-iron within 4 feet for a 68 that tied him with Willis at 9-under 131 total through 36 holes.
Willis, who spent last year on the Nationwide Tour, had five birdies in a bogey-free round to put himself in the final group for Saturday.
Charley Hoffman had the clubhouse lead early with a 65 and was at 132. Robert Karlsson (66) and Robert Garrigus (66) were tied for third at 133. Texas teenager Jordan Spieth, who became the sixth-youngest to make a PGA cut at the Byron Nelson last month, missed this cut at 1 over as he finished 2-over 142.
LPGA TOUR: At Springfield, Ill., M.J. Hur had two chip-in birdies in a second consecutive 6-under 66 that gave her a one-shot lead over Amy Yang after the second round of the LPGA's State Farm Classic.
Yang was at 11-under 133 after a 65 at Panther Creek Country Club. Cristie Kerr shot a 67 and was at 10 under with Inbee Park (67), Alena Sharp (68) and Na Yeon Choi (69).
Michelle Wie shot 69 for the second day in a row and was six shots back.
EUROPEAN TOUR: At Estoril, Portugal, Thomas Bjorn of Denmark and Carlos Del Moral of Spain shared the lead at 12 under after the second round of the Estoril Open at Penha Longa.
Bjorn and Del Moral both had 7-under 65s and sit two strokes ahead of Steve Webster and Robert Coles of England and Damien McGrane of Ireland. Webster shot a second straight 67, Coles had a 66, and McGrane followed up his opening 64 with a 70.
CURTIS CUP: At Manchester-by-the-sea, Mass., winning the Curtis Cup for the first time in seven tries would be sweet. Winning it on American soil would be even sweeter. Winning it on the home course of the two women who founded the event would be perfect.
The team composed of Great Britain and Ireland got off to a strong start in its effort to snatch the 36th Curtis Cup competition from the U.S. squad in the biennial event being held at the Essex County Club this weekend.
After halving the three morning foursomes, the visitors won two of the three fourball matches in the afternoon to take a 3.5-2.5 lead over the Americans. The U.S., which has won the event six straight times, needs 10 points to retain the cup; the GB&I team needs 10.5 points to take it back across the pond.