CHON BURI, Thailand — Charl Schwartzel increased his lead to four strokes at the Thailand Golf Championship with a second straight 7-under 65 on Friday.

Schwartzel was at 14-under 130 after the second round at the Amata Spring Country Club, where play was delayed due to bad light. Daniel Chopra moved into second place (67), one stroke ahead of Masanori Kobayashi (67).

"I seem to play better on courses which are narrower," said Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion. "I concentrate better and better and I'm just hitting pretty good off the tee and giving myself good chances.

"I've put two great rounds together. I hit the ball really nice and gave myself a lot of chances."

Chopra took over second place with a second straight 67.

"I wasn't quite sure how my body was going to react with the jet lag and all that, but I woke up just before my alarm and came out here and warmed up in the dark and off I went," Chopra said. "I birdied the first hole and it was easy after that."

Japanese star Ryo Ishikawa (66) moved up the leaderboard into fourth, two strokes ahead of 2012 Masters champion Bubba ...

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SYDNEY — Golf officials are investigating a fight between two caddies near the practice chipping area at The Lakes before the first round of the Australian Open.

PGA Tour of Australasia officials said Friday that Grant Buchanan and Matt Kelly had to be separated after coming to blows as their players prepared for the opening round. Buchanan is James Nitties' caddie, and Kelly works for Marc Leishman.

The caddies were interviewed by tour officials and could face disciplinary action.

Tournament director Andrew Langford-Jones said decision on any disciplinary action would be determined within a week.

"Our members in no way condone this behavior, and we are saddened the incident has drawn attention away from this great tournament," he said.

Leishman had a 2-under 70 on Thursday, leaving him four strokes behind leader John Senden.

Nitties shot 77. He failed to earn a 2013 PGA Tour card Monday in California in the qualifying tournament.

CHON BURI, Thailand – Seeking his first victory since winning the 2011 Masters, Charl Schwartzel shot a 7-under 65 Thursday to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Thailand Golf Championship.

The South African made seven birdies – four in the first seven holes – in a bogey-free round at the Amata Spring Country Club to hold a one-shot advantage over Thitiphun Chuayprakong.

"I'm very happy with the way my game has started getting back," Schwartzel said. "Last month and a half, I've been able to start working on my swing again and getting my swing back to what it was a year or so ago.

"My consistency is coming back, and that to me is key."

Third-ranked Bubba Watson (68) had an eagle and six birdies to sit three shots off the lead, while defending champion Lee Westwood (70) was in 21st place.

"It was a solid round, but I made a few mistakes," said Watson, this year's Masters winner. "Hit a cart path and bounced into the woods and had to take an unplayable (lie), and had a three-putt on the 17."

Daniel Chopra shot a 67 to share third with Javi Colomo.

Schwartzel opened ...

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SYDNEY – John Senden shot a 6-under 66 in calm morning conditions to take a two-stroke lead after the first round of the Australian Open on Thursday.

Senden had eight birdies but back-to-back bogeys at The Lakes, while Englishman Justin Rose, who birdied three of his first four holes, was level with Australians Kim Felton, Brendan Jones and Richard Green and New Zealand's Gareth Paddison after 68s.

Rose dropped his only shot of the day when he muffed a greenside flop shot on the par-4 third hole, his 12th of the round.

"I decided to try and hit the high, sexy lob; that didn't really come off," Rose said.

Senden had a consistent year on the PGA Tour, making 19 cuts in 22 events, including five top-10 finishes.

"The results have shown in the past couple of years. I have been inside the top 30 and been consistent," Senden said. "I have taken those feelings and brought them home to Australia. I feel I can keep improving and keeping knocking on the door in every event I play."

Adam Scott, who practiced with a new putter earlier in the week, used his old broomstick-style blade on Thursday and missed ...

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KHON KAEN, Thailand — Arnond Vongvanij upstaged heavy favorites Thaworn Wiratchant and Mardan Mamat with a two-stroke victory in the King's Cup on Sunday to claim his first Asian Tour title.

The 23-year-old Thai, who qualified for the Asian Tour in January, shot a final round 64 including birdies on the 16th and 17th.

Arnond finished with an overall 22-under 266 at the Singha Park Kohn Kaen Golf Club. He said "I putted well and hit well and had some luck."

Singapore's Mamat (69) and Thailand's Thaworn (68) shared second place, 1 shot behind Arnond.

SUN CITY, South Africa — Martin Kaymer of Germany shot a 3-under 69 to earn his first title of 2012, holding on for a two-shot victory Sunday in rainy conditions at the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

Kaymer finished at 8-under 280, two ahead of Charl Schwartzel (69) of South Africa. Bill Haas of the United States was third after a 71.

Kaymer was in trouble twice toward the end, pulling his tee shoot deep into the rough on the par-5 No. 14. He blasted out and made a brilliant birdie. He bogeyed No. 15 to allow Schwartzel to get within one shot, but recovered through the last three holes to close out his first win since November 20, 2011.

Schwartzel's bogey on No. 17 helped Kaymer.

"It was always tight. Charl played a great round of golf," Kaymer said, adding he only felt comfortable once his par putt on 18 dropped in. "I was telling (my caddie) I need a win. I need a win in 2012."

South African Louis Oosthuizen (74) was fourth. Two-time defending champion Lee Westwood's run at Sun City ended with a 73, seven shots behind the winner.

The rest of the 12-man field were over ...

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SUN CITY, South Africa — Martin Kaymer rolled in a tricky 10-foot par putt on the last hole for a 2-under 70 and a one-stroke lead on Saturday heading into the final round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

Europe's Ryder Cup star made three birdies and a bogey to move 5 under on an overcast and breezy day that ensured low scores were again out of reach at Gary Player Country Club.

Louis Oosthuizen (69) is second at 4 under, while fellow South African Charl Schwartzel (70) is two back from Kaymer.

Oosthuizen and Schwartzel are lined up for a final-day push for a first home win at Sun City since 2007, with Oosthuizen's 3-under-par round the fourth sub-70 score in three days of tough golf in South Africa.

Lee Westwood made a late move for an unprecedented third straight Nedbank title by shooting a 70 to sit three off the lead. Bill Haas of the United States stayed in contention with a 71 for a share of fourth with Westwood at 2 under.

With the narrow fairways and unforgiving rough already testing the 12-man field, muggy conditions made driving off the tee even more difficult.

The former top-ranked ...

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SUN CITY, South Africa — Bernhard Langer won the Nedbank Champions Challenge seniors tournament by two strokes Saturday despite closing with a 2-over 74.

The German had a three-round total of 7-under 209. He dropped shots at Nos. 5, 7, 13 and 17 but had enough of an advantage going into the round to win.

Jay Haas was the runner-up. He had two bogeys and two birdies on the front nine and pars on all of the back nine. Son Bill Haas was contending in the main Nedbank Challenge event midway through his third round.

Ian Woosnam was third in the seniors after a 72. Mark Calcavecchia dropped to seventh place out of eight after finishing with a 13-over 85 marked by two triple-bogeys.

MIYAZAKI, Japan -- Luke Donald shot a 3-under 68 on Sunday to win the Dunlop Phoenix by five strokes for his first win on the Japanese tour.

Donald eagled the par-5 7th hole and added three birdies against a pair of bogeys at the Phoenix Country club to finish at 16-under 268, five strokes ahead of Japanese amateur Hideki Matsuyama, who shot a 67.

Donald, who won the U.S. PGA Tour and European Tour money titles last season, was playing in the Japan Tour event for the first time since 2007.

Koumei Oda shot a 64 to finish third at 10-under while Hiroyuki Fujita (70) and Australian Brendan Jones (71) finished tied for fourth place at 9-under.

Japan's Ryo Ishikawa, winner of last week's Taiheiyo Masters, had a 70 for 22nd at 1-under.

MELBOURNE, Australia – Adam Scott shot a 5-under 67 on Sunday to win the Australian Masters in his native country for his first victory of the year.

Scott had five birdies on the front nine and another on No. 18. He trailed Ian Poulter by one after three rounds.

''This has been a long time coming,'' Scott said. ''This is pretty sweet to be in the gold jacket and hold this trophy that I've been admiring since I was a little kid.

''Winning the Australian Open was like getting the monkey off my back a couple of years ago, but this is certainly something I've wanted to achieve for a long time.''

Poulter, who played with Scott, bogeyed two par-5s in three holes on the back nine in the final round and missed a short par putt on 17. He shot a 72 and finished second, four strokes behind the winner.

Scott finished with a 72-hole total of 17-under 271 at Kingston Heath.

New Zealanders Gareth Paddison (68) and Mark Brown (69) tied for third, eight strokes behind.

Poulter said his bogey on No. 12 was costly.

''It wasn't a mistake in club selection, it was a poor ...

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MELBOURNE, Australia — Defending champion Ian Poulter shot an 8-under-par 64 Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over Adam Scott after three rounds of the Australian Masters.

Poulter had five birdies on the front nine — four on lengthy putts — and the Englishman had a 54-hole total of 13-under 203 on the Kingston Heath sand-belt course.

Poulter's 9-iron approach on No. 18 nearly holed out from the fairway and he had a tap-in birdie to finish.

"I just hit it, let it ride up the crest and feed down," Poulter said. "It turned out to be a decent shot. ... When you go out with a reasonable breeze and you produce a score like that, you have to be happy."

Scott, who shot 67, stayed close until consecutive bogeys on 16 and 17. However, a 15-foot birdie putt on 18 pulled him back within one shot of Poulter and a final-round pairing with Poulter on Sunday.

"In the end, I really needed it," Scott said of his birdie on the last. "With being just one shot behind, it can all change pretty quickly out there. He (Poulter) got off to such a great start, I was happy to be able to stay ...

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HONG KONG — Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain shot a 2-under 68 to share the third-round lead with New Zealand's Michael Campbell at the Hong Kong Open on Saturday.

Campbell, looking for his first win in seven years, made a 15-foot par putt on the last hole to complete a round of 69 that put him at 10-under 200. Jimenez is trying to win the event for a third time in nine years.

"I wouldn't say I played well today as it was a bit scrappy and really pretty average but then I managed to grind out a score and that's important when you are not playing all that well," Campbell said.

Campbell survived a scare during his round when he accidentally knocked his ball off the tee at the par-4 10th hole while taking a practice swing. However, the 2005 U.S. Open champion avoided a two-stroke penalty after a ruling that he had not addressed the ball and therefore was not in breach of the rules.

"I've never ever done that before in 38 years of playing golf and knocking the ball off the tee in taking a practice swing," he said.

Campbell, ranked at ...

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MELBOURNE, Australia — Overnight leader Matthew Guyatt of Australia shot a 3-under 69 Friday to maintain his two-shot lead after the second round of the Australian Masters.

Guyatt, a regular on the Japan Challenge Tour but not well-known in his home country, was at 10-under 134 on the Kingston Heath sand-belt course in south Melbourne. Michael Hendry of New Zealand also shot a 69 and was in second place.

Adam Scott, playing in the same group as 2010 U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland, had a 70 and was in third, three shots behind Guyatt.

Defending champion Ian Poulter of England shot 72 and was tied for fourth, five strokes behind.

"I've left quite a few shots out on the golf course and I'm not very happy," Poulter said.

McDowell shot 77 that included six bogeys and a double bogey, just making the cut at 4-over 148.

Guyatt was off the tour for five years, but returned two years ago with the financial backing of a 78-year-old friend he has not named.

"He just about fell over," Guyatt said when his benefactor found out that he was leading. "I was just hoping he hadn't had ...

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Blayne Barber’s decision to disqualify himself from Q-School was a hot discussion topic last week. Now his game is worth talking about.

Barber won the NGA Bridgestone Winter Professional Tour event at Harmony (Fla.) Golf Preserve on Thursday. It was his first start since he removed himself from Q-School, and ended with his third consecutive victory in an NGA Tour-sanctioned event. Barber has won four of his past five NGA starts.

He shot 13-under 203 (66-64-73) at Harmony, then beat Germany’s Allen John in a playoff. Barber earned $9,620 for the victory. “I was just excited to play again,” he said. “I just love playing and competing. I was glad to get back at it.

“(The disqualification) wasn’t brought up very often. A couple guys asked me about it. A couple just said, ‘Thanks for doing the right thing.’ There really wasn’t much reaction from it.”

His fellow competitors may not have mentioned the incident, but it was much-discussed in the media last week. Barber made an appearance on Golf Channel’s “Morning Drive” and the story, first reported by Golfweek, went viral on the Web and Twitter. Barber's fiancee, Morgan Stanford, tweeted, “In ...

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MELBOURNE, Australia — Australia's Matthew Guyatt upstaged the marquee players at the Australian Masters on Thursday, shooting a 7-under 65 to take a two-shot lead after the first round at Kingston Heath.

Adam Scott had five birdies on his final nine holes for a 67 and was tied for second with defending champion Ian Poulter of England and New Zealander Michael Hendry.

Former Australian Masters champion Stuart Appleby had a 71, as did 2010 U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland, who was playing in the same group as Scott.

"It was a nice day," said the 37-year-old Guyatt, who plays on the Japanese Challenge tour. "I have never been in this position before. It's what you do all the hard work and practice for. I am not going to get ahead of myself.

"It's the first day of four and we all know it takes four good days to win the tournament, particularly when you look at the caliber of those guys."

Poulter, who won the World Golf Championship's HSBC Champions in China two weeks ago, was satisfied with his score.

"I feel 5 under is a decent round," he said. "I made a ...

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