, April 12 (UPI) -- Singh surges into Masters lead
AUGUSTA, Ga., April 12 (UPI) -- Vijay Singh broke out of an eight-way tie by playing the back nine in 30 shots Friday and opened a four-shot lead in a bid to win his second Masters in three years.
Arnold Palmer, meanwhile, played his final competitive round at the Augusta National Golf Club to the accompaniment of an almost constant ovation--one that paused just long enough for him to hit his shots.
Two weeks ago in Houston, Singh won in the United States for the first time since he captured the 2000 Masters. That streak of success continued over into the first major championship of the year Friday when he emerged from a crowded leaderboard to seize the advantage late in the second round.
As Singh walked down the 13th fairway, having just birdied the par-3 12th, he shared the tournament lead at 4-under par with Davis Love III, Sergio Garcia, Angel Cabrera, Padraig Harrington, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen.
Singh then birdied the 13th, rolled in a 25-foot eagle putt at the 15th, made a 12-footer for birdie at the 17th and knocked it to within 10 feet for anogther birdie at the final hole to shoot a 7-under 65 for a for a 36-hole total of 135.
In the clubhouse tied for second at 5-under 139 were Harrington, who shot a 70, and Garcia, who had a 71. Goosen was also at 5-under through nine holes. Cabrera was at 140 with a 72 and Jose Maria Olazabal was also at 4-under with 10 holes to play.Those finished at 30-under 141 were Miguel Angel Jimenez, Thomas Bjorn and Mickelson. Defending champion Tiger Woods was at 3-under through eight holes.
Persistent morning rains drenched the famed course and the early starters had to slog their way through rounds lasting almost six hours. The rain ended before noon and a weak sun attempted to break through as the afternoon progressed.
The showers left the course waterlogged and galleries were left with slippery and, in some cases, muddy slopes on which to walk.
Dakich quits West Virginia, returns to Bowling Green
MORGANTOWN, W,Va., April 12 (UPI) -- Dan Dakich Friday quit his job as basketball coach at West Virginia to return to his old job at Bowling Green.
Dakich was named to the West Virginia job on April 4 after the school was spurned by Cincinnati's Bob Huggins. But the Mountaineers again are without a coach following the departure of Dakich, who cited a possible NCAA rules violation at the school.
"During the transition process, a possible violation of an NCAA rule that may have occurred during the past season was brought to the attention of Dakich and myself," West Virginia athletic director Ed Pastilong said.
While not disclosing details of the violation, Pastilong said the school is conducting an internal investigation and has notified the Big East Conference and the NCAA.
"We are deeply shocked and disappointed in coach Dakich's decision," West Virginia president David C. Hardesty Jr. said.
Dakich, a disciple of Bob Knight, was named as the successor to long-time coach Gale Catlett, but his brief tenure was rocky.
Pastilong said that Dakich sought to restructure the terms of his contract after he evaluated the West Virginia team.
Felipe Alou named bench coach of Tigers
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., April 12 (UPI) -- Felipe Alou, the 1994 National League Manager of the Year with the Montreal Expos, Friday was named bench coach of the Detroit Tigers under new manager Luis Pujols.
Alou spent 27 years in the Montreal organization before being fired as manger during the 2001 season. Pujols was on Alou's staff from 1993 to 2000 and the two are close friends.
In addition, Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski was an Expos executive when Alou was with Montreal.
Pujols was appointed manager of the Tigers for the rest of the season and has lost his first two games since taking over for the fired Phil Garner. The Tigers are 0-8 and off to their worst start since 1952.
Often mentioned as a candidate for managerial vacancies, Alou was expected to join the Tigers in time for Friday's game with the Minnesota Twins. Alou led Montreal to winning seasons in four of his first five seasons with the Expos and enjoyed baseball's best record in 1994.
Blue Grass, Wood Memorial head Derby preps
LEXINGTON, Ky., April 12 (UPI) -- Harlan's Holiday and Booklet renew their rivalry this weekend, one that will likely be staged again on the first Saturday in May.
The two horses will meet Saturday in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland in Lexington, one of three notable prep races for the Kentucky Derby, the first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown on May 4.
San Felipe Stakes winner Medaglia d'Oro will head the field for the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Race Track in New York, which like the Blue Grass is a Grade I race worth $750,000. In addition, the $500,000 Grade II Arkansas Derby will be run at Oaklawn Park.
Harlan's Holiday blew past a spent Booklet just shy of the three-quarters pole and ran away to a 3 1/2-length victory in the $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on March 16.
Booklet, however, held off Harlan's Holiday in both the Holy Bull Stakes and Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulstream Park. Both those races were 1 1/16 miles and ended with Harlan's Holiday closing strongly.
The Florida Derby was 1 1/8 miles and the extra length clearly benefited Harlan's Holiday, who was ridden by Edgar Prado. The horses will run again at 1 1/8 miles on Saturday in the final prep before the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby.
