Van Pelt takes two-shot lead at Buick
GRAND BLANC, Mich., June 27 (UPI) -- Bo Van Pelt turned in a second straight low round Friday to take a two-shot lead at the midway point of the Buick Open in Grand Blanc, Mich.
Van Pelt, who shared the lead after the opening 18 holes, shot a 6-under 66 over the Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club course.
He opened his round by chipping in for birdie and went on to post a two-day total of 14-under 130.
Dudley Hart (68), another of the first-round co-leaders, was at 132 along with Daniel Chopra (67). Woody Austin (67) and Matt Jones (63) were tied for fourth at 133, and Fredrik Jacobson (66) and Bubba Watson (67) were another shot back.
"I knew the scores were going to be low again, and if I wanted to stay near the top I needed to keep going forward," Van Pelt said. "That's just kind of what I kept telling myself all day. Even after I got off to a good start, I was just trying to stay aggressive and make birdies."
Van Pelt is looking for his first PGA Tour win.
Corey Pavin, who was tied with Van Pelt and Hart after the first round, shot a 74 and fell into a tie for 29th at 138.
Olympic weightlifters banned in Bulgaria
SOFIA, Bulgaria, June 27 (UPI) -- The Bulgarian Olympic Committee announced Friday the entire national weightlifting team would be withdrawn from the upcoming Beijing Games.
Bulgarian officials said 11 athletes had tested positive for steroid use this month.
It is the latest in a long line of drug scandals for the Bulgarians, who rank second behind only the former Soviet Union in the number of Olympic weightlifting medals won.
Two Bulgarian weightlifters were kicked out of the 1988 Olympics in Seoul for drug use. In Sydney eight years ago, a Bulgarian tested positive in each of the first three weightlifting events, prompting the entire team to leave the Olympics in disgrace.
Among those who tested positive this month was Velichko Cholakov, who won a bronze medal in the heavyweight class in Athens.
The International Weightlifting Federation said 40 world-class competitors in the sport have been suspended this year for drug use. That does not include the Bulgarians, but does include 11 Greeks who tested positive in March.
White Sox finally get the best of Cubs
CHICAGO, June 27 (UPI) -- Nick Swisher's grand slam highlighted a seven-run third inning Friday and lifted the Chicago White Sox over the Chicago Cubs 10-3.
The Cubs had beaten the White Sox six straight times.
Carlos Quentin had four hits and drove in two runs and Jermaine Dye went three for five with three RBI. The White Sox equaled a season high for runs in an inning with their onslaught in the third and won for the third time in four games.
Jose Contreras (7-6) benefited from the 14-hit attack to get the win, giving up three runs on seven hits in six-plus innings.
The White Sox roughed up Ryan Dempster (9-3) for eight runs and seven hits in 2 1/3.
Swisher was the eighth batter in the third and he lined a pitch on the outside corner to left-center for his grand slam -- giving the White Sox an 8-0 lead. It was the third slam of his career and the sixth for the White Sox this season.
Carpentier claims first pole in NASCAR
LOUDON, N.H., June 27 (UPI) -- Patrick Carpentier, given a break by the changing weather, won the first pole of his NASCAR career Friday.
After a rain delay of almost two hours made for cooler track conditions, Carpentier turned in a lap time of 29.349 seconds at the New Hampshire International Speedway. He will start out front Sunday in the Lenox Industrial Tools 301.
Carpentier came to NASCAR from the now-defunct Champ Car series.
Veteran Bobby Labonte will start alongside Carpentier after posting a time of 29.512. Kevin Harvick and Scott Riggs will be in the second row.
Two-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson will start 23rd and current points leader Kyle Busch will begin the race in 27th place.
