D J Trahan

LA JOLLA -- Tiger Woods, playing like Walter Hagen as he limped like Walter Brennan, added more time capsule moments to an already remarkable career Saturday when he hobbled down the back nine to incredibly seize the 54-hole lead at the 108th U.S. Open.

LA JOLLA -- His left knee could be hurting him, he might be playing his first tournament in two months and he may have started with four bogeys on his first nine holes, but at the midway point of the U.S. Open, there's only one player in front of Tiger Woods. Stuart Appleby's cross-country birdie putt at the 18th hole Friday at Torrey Pines was not only noteworthy for the ground it covered, about 45 feet, but also for the fact that it concluded a one-under-par round of 70 and turned out to be worth a one-shot lead over Woods, Rocco Mediate and Robert Karlsson.

Marc Turnesa went over all the scenarios in his head before he showed up at Riviera Country Club early Saturday to finish his second round of the Northern Trust Open. All of the situations, that is, except for the one that actually played out. Turnesa made two pars, but his playing partner, John Merrick, made a bogey on the final hole that changed everything.

The last time Justin Leonard was in these parts, the 35-year-old from Dallas missed the cut at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, the speed of his departure about the same pace as a Texas two-step. Leonard is going somewhere fast again this week, speed-dialing a six-under-par 66 Saturday at the Classic Club, where he'll take a four-shot lead into today's fifth and final round of this 90-hole experience in golf course mugging. Anthony Kim, who is tied for second with Robert Gamez, D.J.

The New England Patriots have signed quarterback Tom Brady to a six-year extension worth $60 million, a deal that for the first time brings the two-time Super Bowl MVP's salary in line with his accomplishments. The extension was reported by ESPN and confirmed to the Associated Press on Saturday night by a football source, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Minnesota Viking running back Onterrio Smith will be suspended for the season by the NFL for violating the league's substance abuse policy a third time, according to two reports. Pending an appeal, Smith will have to sit out the 2005 season, ESPN.com and the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Thursday. Smith skipped a drug test, which qualifies as a violation under league policy, ESPN.com reported, citing two unidentified team sources.

James Blake dominated top-seeded Ivan Ljubicic, 6-3, 6-1, to win the Thailand Open final Sunday at Bangkok. Third-seeded Blake controlled the match from the start with superior ground strokes, wrapping up in less than an hour his fourth title of the year. "I played great since the beginning. His serves were a little off," Blake said. "It's a combination of me playing well and him not playing the best through the whole match. It happens to everyone."

Five days ago, Kasey Kahne had written off his chances in the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup. But even before his pole-winning performance Friday at Kansas Speedway, his confidence was back. "On Sunday, I had just hit another car," said Kahne, who dropped to ninth in the Chase standings -- 182 points off the lead -- when he got caught in Tony Stewart's spinout and finished 38th at Dover, Del. "I was devastated. Today, I've been able to think about it for a week. Things change."