Robert Friend and amateur Nathan Smith finished with 5-under 137s after the first two rounds of the Frank B. Fuhrer Jr. Invitational yesterday at the Pittsburgh Field Club in Fox Chapel.

Friend went 68-69 and Smith 65-72 to lead the exclusive 40-man field in this 72-hole event. Round 3 is today and the final round will be played tomorrow.

Daniel Braun, Roy Vucinich and John Mazza are tied for third at 4 under. Smith's 65 was the lowest of the day at the par-71, 6,636-yard layout.

More golf

In-Kyung Kim of South Korea, who recently won the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship, leads with a 4-under 68 after the first round of the U.S. Women's Amateur championship at Rosewell, Ga. Sewickley's Carol Semple Thompson shot 82. Thompson's tee shot marked the beginning of the 100th national championship that she has participated in -- a U.S. Golf Association record. She played in her first national championship in 1963 at age 13.

John Daly sued The Florida Times-Union and its Web site, contending he was defamed by a columnist who called the golfer a thug who allegedly beats women. Daly is suing over statements in columnist Mike Freeman's article that stated that he has "Thug Life qualification."

College Basketball

Comcast SportsNet in Philadelphia has reported that former East Carolina guard Mike Cook has decided to transfer to Pitt. Cook made the announcement yesterday at a news conference near his home in Mount Airy, Pa., a Philadelphia suburb. Cook, a 6-foot-4 guard, averaged 15 points per game last season. Cook, who must sit out this coming season, would have two years of eligibility remaining. Pitt could not confirm Cook's decision last night. Under NCAA rules, a coach is not allowed to speak about a transfer until he is enrolled in school and on campus.

Pro basketball

The Seattle SuperSonics signed assistant coach Jack Sikma to a three-year contract extension. Sikma, who played nine seasons with Seattle, was promoted to assistant coach last year.

Former Portland Trail Blazers player Maurice Lucas will return as an assistant coach. Lucas, a member of the 1977 championship team, finished his playing career with Portland in the 1987-88 season.

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Dawn Staley was traded by the Charlotte Sting to Houston in a move that gives her a better chance to win a WNBA title before retirement.

College football

Prosecutors dropped a felony aggravated assault charge against one Tennessee player and reduced the charge against another in a case stemming from a fight at a campus party last March. Tennessee defensive end Robert Ayers and linebacker Jerod Mayo were charged with hitting a fellow student when several fights broke out between football players and members of a fraternity.

Florida A&M volunteered to strip its football program of 28 scholarships over three years and impose a one-year postseason ban on its men's basketball team as the school conceded a "widespread" lack of control. More than 200 violations have surfaced in nearly every varsity sport.

Tennis

Andre Agassi is skipping this week's Legg Mason Classic in Washington to rest his back. Agassi withdrew hours before play began yesterday at the $600,000 tournament where Andy Roddick is seeded No. 1.

Wild Things

Washington (39-24) maintained a two game lead in the East Division of the Frontier League with an 11-6 win against the host Mid-Missouri Mavericks (21-40).

Track and field

The list of no-shows at the track and field world championships in Helsinki, Finland, Saturday, grew when Olympic hammer throw champion Koji Murofushi of Japan withdrew because of a rib injury and Olympic javelin champion Jan Zelezny pulled out because of an Achilles' tendon injury.