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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, August 7, 2009

McLachlin two back


Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Parker McLachlin

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Defending champion Parker McLachlin chose a rather unconventional way to celebrate his first victory on the PGA tour last summer at the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open in Nevada. He decided to revamp his entire swing.

"From the outside looking in people could say, 'Well, you just won. Why would you change?' " McLachlin said before posting a 3-under-par 69 in windy conditions yesterday at Montreux Golf & Country Club.

" 'Your swing can't be that bad. You just won by seven shots.' Well, I would have won by 10 or 11 if I would have actually swung the golf club where I could hit more than four greens on 18 holes on Sunday," he said.

McLachlin, a Punahou School and Stanford alum, is tied for ninth.

Australia's Rod Pampling leads at 5-under 67, a stroke ahead of a group that included two-time winner Vaughn Taylor and Rich Barcelo.

Jonathan Kaye, Steve Pate, Grant Waite, Spencer Levin and rookie Marc Leishman matched Taylor and Barcelo with 68s at Montreux Golf and Country Club.

Castle High alum Dean Wilson shot a 74.

HARRINGTON LEADS BY 2 AT BRIDGESTONE

Padraig Harrington shot a 6-under 64 yesterday for a two-shot lead in the Bridgestone Invitational at Akron, Ohio.

Harrington has not won a sanctioned tournament since last year at the PGA Championship, when he became the first European in history to win successive majors in the same season.

Harrington leads Scott Verplank, Tim Clark and Prayad Marksaeng by two strokes.

Tiger Woods is at 68 and Phil Mickelson at 70.

BASKETBALL

ORLANDO'S LEWIS SUSPENDED 10 GAMES

Orlando Magic forward Rashard Lewis tested positive for an elevated testosterone level and was suspended yesterday for 10 games.

Lewis said in a statement that he took an over-the-counter supplement late last season that included a substance he did not realize was banned by the NBA.

"First and foremost I take full responsibility for the situation and accept the corresponding penalty," Lewis said.

He will be suspended without pay for the first 10 regular-season games for which he is eligible and physically able to play.

He will be docked about $1.6 million of his $18 million salary for the 2009-10 season.

ELSEWHERE

Swimming: Jessica Hardy broke the world record in the 50-meter breaststroke when she time-trialed the 100-meter breaststroke at the U.S. Open National Championships at Federal Way, Wash.

Hardy split a time of 29.95 seconds to beat the previous mark of 30.09 set by Yuliya Efimova of Russia at the world championships Aug. 2.

Hardy made her return Wednesday after a one-year ban because of a failed drug test.

Tennis: Zheng Jie of China upset top-ranked Dinara Safina, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, in the third round of the LA Women's Tennis Championships last night, beating the Russian for the first time in five meetings.

Safina, the defending tournament champion, is in her 16th consecutive week as the world's top-ranked women's player.