DULUTH, Ga. -- Jonathan Byrd took advantage of soft fairways and receptive greens at TPC Sugarloaf yesterday, shooting his second straight 6-under 66 to take a three-stroke lead in the AT&T Classic.

Byrd, seeking his fourth PGA Tour victory, shared the lead with Kenny Perry, Ryan Palmer and two others when the second round began.

The course was drenched with over an inch of rain Thursday and, though no precipitation fell in the second round, overcast conditions kept the sun from drying off the fairways and greens and making the course play faster.

Perry and Palmer shot 69s to drop into a tie for second. Parker McLachlin, another first-round leader, shot a 70 to drop into a three-way tie for fourth with Charles Howell III (69) and David Toms (69) at 8 under.

Defending champion Zach Johnson (70) and Sugarloaf resident Stewart Cink (71) were seven strokes back at 5 under.

Byrd, who finished sixth in 2006 and tied for ninth in '07, was in the final group two years ago when Phil Mickelson finished the tournament a staggering 28 under.

Mickelson's penchant for attacking a course ripe for low scores impressed Byrd.

Byrd was upset with himself for a mental lapse that led to a three-putt at the par-5 sixth. It marked the only hole he played over par in the second round and just his second of the tournament.

Regions Charity Classic

HOOVER, Ala. -- Andy Bean and Monday qualifier Mike Goodes shot 7-under 65s to share the first-round lead in the Champions Tour's Regions Charity Classic.

Leading money winner Bernhard Langer was two strokes back on the 7,503-yard Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Ross Bridge course. A two-time winner this year on the 50-and-over tour, Langer tied for 15th Sunday in The Players Championship on the PGA Tour.

Without an exemption, Goodes had to qualify for the tournament on Monday in North Carolina and matched his best round since joining the Champions Tour in 2006.

Two-time defending champion Brad Bryant opened with a 72.

Because of wet conditions, players were allowed to lift, clean and place their balls in the fairways.

Sybase Classic

CLIFTON, N.J. -- Second-round play was wiped out in the LPGA Tour's Sybase Classic after rain created conditions that would have forced players to compete on two very different courses if the round had been suspended until today.

Tournament officials wiped out play, rescheduled the second round to today and reduced the $2 million tournament from 72 holes to 54.

Annika Sorenstam, Rachel Hetherington and Song-Hee Kim shared the lead after shooting 67s on Thursday. Lorena Ochoa was a stroke back.

The washout was the tour's first since the 2005 Michelob Ultra Open.
Results, Page D7