South Korean Yang Yong-eun shrugged off the effects of a severe head cold to burst two shots clear of a congested leaderboard in the Chevron World Challenge second round Friday. Yang, who won his first major title after overhauling Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship in August, fired a sparkling seven-under-par 65 on another benign day of sunshine at Sherwood Country Club. Helped by a chip-in from greenside rough to birdie the par-three 15th, the Korean posted a nine-under total of 135 in the limited field event usually hosted by world number one Woods. Woods pulled out of the event Monday, citing injuries from a car crash outside his Florida home last week as speculation began to escalate over his private life. Yang covered the back nine in a flawless three-under 33, his birdie at the 15th putting him a stroke in front of Irishman Padraig Harrington and Britain's Ian Poulter before he ended the day with a two-shot cushion. Harrington carded a 68 to join Poulter (69) and American veteran Kenny Perry (65) at seven under with former Masters champion Zach Johnson, co-leader overnight with Poulter, among three players a further stroke back after a 70. Yang, who became Asia's first male major champion with his spectacular breakthrough at Hazeltine National, took control of the tournament despite an erratic display on the greens. Scott leads Appleby Adam Scott birdied the last two holes of a marathon Saturday to snatch a two-shot lead after the third round of the Australian Open at the New South Wales course. Scott went out early to finish off the last 12 holes of his second round, which was left incomplete after heavy winds on Friday, with a 66, then returned after lunch to shoot a 67 for the third round. His three round total of 15-under-par 201 left him with a two stroke lead over the 2001 Australian open champion Stuart Appleby, who carded a third round 71. Nick O'Hern was a further five shots back at 8-under, one ahead of James Nitties and two in front of American David Oh, the only non-Australian within 10 shots of the lead. Scott has never won a professional title on Australian soil and, like Appleby, has struggled on the US PGA Tour this season but said winning his national open would make up for all his disappointments. “For an Aussie it's like the next major,” he told reporters. “It'd mean a lot to me at any point.”
