Sport In Brief: 09/05/2009

Cejka shoots clear at Sawgrass

Alex Cejka fired a five-under-par 67 second round yesterday, opening up a four-shot lead in the Players Championship at theTPC, Sawgrass, Florida.

The 38-year-old has posted 13 birdies in his two rounds and is halfway towards the tournament record of 26 set by Fuzzy Zoeller in 1994. “It was a little bit trickier for me than in the first round. I didn’t really hit the ball as well as on Thursday when I was kind of flawless,” he said. “But I still made a couple of good up and downs and when I had birdie chances I took them. I am pretty excited to be up there two days in a row.”

Kevin Na (66) and Masters champion Angel Cabrera (65) were sharing second place on 137. Cabrera, who started the tournament with a triple-bogey seven on the way to a 72, hit nine birdies and two bogeys yesterday. Tiger Woods is seven strokes off the lead after a second round 69, while Phil Mickelson returned a 71 for 144 level par.

Castleford welcome back Westerman for Halifax cup encounter

Joe Westerman is set to rejoin the fray today, three weeks after going into convulsions on the pitch from a blow to the head. Castleford have included the loose forward in their squad to face Halifax in the Challenge Cup. “He’s come through all the physical stuff this week and I’ve seen no sign of any loss of confidence,” said the Tigers’ coach, Terry Matterson. Cas will be without Richard Owen and Kirk Netherton against Halifax, unbeaten leaders of the Co-operative Championship. Wigan, still with no place for the prodigy Shaun Ainscough, set out to repeat their Super League win over Wakefield of two weeks ago when they go to Belle Vue today.

Dave Hadfield

Phillips well placed ahead of Badminton's cross country phase

Zara Phillips is in ninth place with her world champion mount Toytown as riders prepare to tackle today's cross country phase of the Badminton Horse Trials. Having withdrawn after the dressage as a result of firm going two years ago, this will be Toytown's first taste of the daunting course. "He's looking forward to it, he keeps looking for the fences," Phillips said. Riders praised the ground and the course for today's test. "There's plenty to jump and plenty of chances for a slip-up," said William Fox-Pitt, who is hoping to justify his long held faith in Idalgo, currently lying fifth.

Genevieve Murphy at Badminton