ORLANDO, Florida: Martin Laird shot a 7-under 65 for a one-shot lead over K.J. Choi and Spencer Levin in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Laird reached three par 5s in two shots, converted one of them into an eagle and closed his round with a 321-yard tee shot on the ninth and a 12-foot birdie for a 9-under 135. Choi put in three hybrids to go with his driver and two fairway metals, all to get ready for the Masters. It paid dividends at Bay Hill with a tournament-best 64. Levin didn't play his best in the morning, but his putting carried him to a 70. Levin made all four of his birdie putts outside 15 feet to stay atop the leaderboard until Laird's late surge. Tiger Woods is still in contention after a 4-under 68, leaving him six shots behind going into the weekend. Shin shines In Industry, California, Second-ranked Jiyai Shin shot a bogey-free 9-under 64, birdieing nine of the first 14 holes, to take a four-stroke lead in the rain-delayed Kia Classic. The South Korean star, an eight-time winner on the LPGA Tour, had a 12-under 134 total on the Industry Hills Golf Club course at Pacific Palms. Seventy-two players, all of the afternoon starters, were unable to finish the round after rain delayed the start three hours. Germany's Sandra Gal was second at 8 under with nine holes left when play was suspended for the day because of darkness. Amanda Blumenherst, the first-round leader, and Chella Choi were third at 6 under. Blumenherst had nine holes remaining, while Choi shot a 68. Michelle Wie, returning to the tour after finishing exams at Stanford, followed an opening 68 with a 75 to drop nine strokes behind Shin at 3 under. Lawrie takes lead Paul Lawrie said he was inspired by a magnficient round of 60 by Ken Ferrie on Saturday as he surged into the third-round lead of the Andalucian Open. Ferrie only just made the halfway cut but equalled the lowest round in European Tour history with his 10-under effort to end the day in a share of second place with Mark Foster. Lawrie, looking for his first European Tour title since winning the 2002 Wales Open, later conjured a round of 65 to top the leaderboard by a stroke going into Sunday's final round. Denmark's Jeppe Huldahl and Sweden's Rikard Karlberg both shot 72s to fall back to six shots off the pace.
