McCord, Canizares share second-round lead

Gary McCord is going to skip work to play golf.

And he’s not going to get in trouble.

McCord, better known as a television golf analyst than an occasional player on the Champions Tour, surged into a tie for the lead at the Senior Players Championship on Friday at Dearborn, Mich., with an 8-under 64.

He was then caught by Jose Maria Canizares, whose 66 also put him at 10 under at one of the senior tour’s five majors.

McCord does not play regularly because of his job at CBS, which will broadcast the final two rounds and turn McCord into a player-analyst at least today when he’s in the final group.

First-round leader Gil Morgan followed up his 65 with a 2-under 70 and was at 9 under, tied for second place with Dana Quigley and Mark James.

Ed Fiori and Doug Tewell will start today’s third round another stroke back.

PGA Tour

Jose Coceres waited out a lengthy rain delay and played into fading daylight, taking a one-shot lead before play was suspended in the second round of the John Deere Classic at Silvis, Ill.

The 40-year-old Argentine was 2 under through 11 holes for the round and was 11 under overall when play was halted because of lightning. About half of the field was to return and finish this morning before the start of the third round.

Vaughn Taylor (69) was one stroke off the lead at 132, tied with Greg Chalmers who was 3 under through 13 holes when play was called.

LPGA Tour

Meg Mallon shot a 2-under 70 that kept her in the lead after the second round of the Canadian Women’s Open at Niagara Falls, Ontario. Mallon, coming off last week’s win at the U.S. Women’s Open, was at 9-under 135, a stroke ahead of Lorena Ochoa, who had a second-round 67.

Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., was four strokes back after firing a 67.

Tracy Hanson of Rathdrum, Idaho, stands at 145 after a 72.

Notes

Gregory Havret made an eagle and three birdies over the final six holes for a 7-under 64 that gave him a one-shot lead at 9-under 133 in the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond in Luss, Scotland. Masters champion Phil Mickelson shot an even-par 71 to finish at 1-over 143 and missed the cut. … Fred Couples withdrew from next week’s British Open citing a bad back, the fifth time in the last 11 years that the former Masters champion has pulled out of golf’s oldest championship.