Experience leads pack at Players

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Hot blasts of wind on a diabolical course made The Players Championship tough enough to turn someone's hair gray. Not that the leaders needed any help with that Friday.

Kenny Perry, who first showed up at Sawgrass 20 years ago, kept his wits and his patience in 35 mph gusts and made only one bogey in a solid round of 2-under 70 that gave him a one-shot lead at 6 under going into the weekend.

He will be paired with Bernhard Langer, who already has won twice this year -- on the Champions Tour.

The two-time Masters champion and former Ryder Cup captain thought about withdrawing Thursday morning when he felt pain in his lower back, which caused his groin and left knee to ache, along with his left shoulder. All those creaking joints, and the 50-year-old Langer still managed to produce a 67 and entertain hopes of winning against kids who weren't even born when he won his first Masters.

"I think I can win," Langer said.

Paul Goydos, 43, also was one shot behind after a 71.

"I'm more journeyman than veteran," said Goydos, who has won only twice in his 15 years on tour.

Crashing the party -- naptime might be more apropos -- was Sergio Garcia, the 28-year-old Spaniard whose driving was as spectacular as his putting was atrocious. Garcia hit all 14 fairways, missed only three greens and took 33 putts on his way to a 73.

What cost him the 36-hole lead was a double bogey on the island-green 17th without ever going into the water. Garcia's tee shot went over the back of the green and rolled down the artificial turf path, leaving him a chip over a corner of the water. His shot came out hot, rolled off the green and only a slight rise in the first cut of rough kept it dry. He chipped weakly and missed another putt, then missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the last.

"I probably deserved a little bit more than what I got," Garcia said.

Michelob Ultra Open: Lorena Ochoa started with a birdie, pulling her even with Annika Sorenstam, the playing partner she replaced at the top of the world rankings.

Two holes later, Sorenstam answered. And then again at the 16th, rolling in a birdie putt from about 8 feet after Ochoa briefly drew even with a tap-in.

So it went in the Michelob Ultra Open in Williamsburg, Va., where sometimes driving rain and two rain delays did little to put a damper on a friendly duel between the game's best players.

Sorenstam followed a 64 with a 66, leaving her at 12 under, three better than Ochoa, whose bogey at the last hole gave her 68, and Jeong Jang, who matched Sorenstam with her 66 on the River Course.

The day wasn't as good for Michelle Wie. Playing in her first event in 2½ months, the Stanford freshman followed a 75 with a 71 and missed the cut by four strokes.

Ochoa, who has won half of the first 10 events so far this season, upped the ante when she rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt on the first hole, No. 10, celebrating with a fist pump. But Sorenstam was better, again going bogey-free.

Italian Open: Sweden's Robert Karlsson shot a course-record 11-under 61 to take a two-stroke lead after the second round of the Italian Open in Milan.

Karlsson, who had two eagles, eight birdies and a bogey, had a 15-under 129 total on the Castello di Tolcinasco course. South Africa's Hennie Otto and Mark Foster were tied for second after 66s. John Daly was 11 strokes back after a 73.