SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Phil Mickelson tied for 121st.

Nick Watney was all alone at the top of the crowded leaderboard.

On a day local favorite Mickelson missed the projected cut by seven strokes, Watney shot an 8-under 63 to take the second-round lead at the FBR Open yesterday. Play was called due to darkness with three players, all above the cut line, still on the course.

At 9 under through two rounds, Watney had a one-stroke lead over Charley Hoffman, Matt Kuchar and first-round co-leader James Nitties.

"I was hitting the ball close, and I kept telling my caddie just to get me on the green any way and I felt like I could hole it," Watney said.

Watney entered the day five strokes off the lead but roared into contention with two eagles in a three-hole stretch. The first came on the par-5, 595-yard 13th hole and the second on the par-5, 552-yard 15th.

Mickelson never recovered from a 5-over 76 in the first round. He had five bogeys and three pars in his 72 yesterday.

"I feel I hit the ball fairly solid," Mickelson said. "I just made some errors here and there."

Hawai'i's Parker McLachlin, a Punahou alum, shot 71 and is tied for 29th at 139. Dean Wilson, a Castle High grad, carded a 73 and was on the cutline, tied for 56th at even-par 142.

EUROPEAN PGA

STENSON LEADS DUBAI

Henrik Stenson of Sweden shot a 7-under 65 yesterday to take the clubhouse lead in the second round of the fog-delayed Dubai Desert Classic at Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Stenson, who has lived in Dubai since 2003, played 25 holes yesterday because of fog delays during the opening round. After completed a first-round 68 and has a 36-hole total of 11-under 133, one stroke ahead of Australian Richard Green, who shot a 63—134.

Fog disrupted the start of play yesterday by more than three hours, and the second round was suspended because of darkness. Some 72 players had not finished their second rounds, and 24 players had yet to start their second rounds.

IN THE COURTS

PGA TOUR SUES GINN

The PGA Tour sued Ginn Development yesterday, citing breach of contract after the resort company dropped sponsorship of the Champions Tour Ginn Championship.

Ginn, which has seen its financial well-being take a serious hit in the worldwide economic downturn, announced on Wednesday it was ending all golf sponsorships immediately, including the Champions Tour event and the LPGA's Ginn Open.

"We regret having to take this legal action, but feel we have no other recourse than to try to recover what had been guaranteed to our members through existing agreements with Ginn Companies," PGA Tour spokesman Ty Votaw said in a statement.

Ginn had three years remaining on its title sponsorship contract with the Champions Tour and had planned a $2.5 million purse for 2009, according to the event's Web site. Ginn also offered a $2.5 million purse for its LPGA event last year, the third-largest on that tour.