Els widens lead; Tiger makes cut
By JOEL STASHENKO / Associated Press Writer
HARRISON, N.Y. (AP) - Even when Ernie Els doesn't live up to
his own expectations, he's still better than practically everyone
else at the Westchester Country Club.
Els' 3-under-par 68 Friday, a mediocre round for him on a course
he has come to dominate, still allowed him to increase his lead
from two to three strokes midway through the Buick Classic.
Els birdied three of the first five holes Friday to get to
10-under, and he admitted that he started to think of matching
or bettering his 64 of Thursday.
"I had visions of going really low again," he said.
"It didn't turn out that way. I was quite patient with myself.
I messed up a couple of par-5s on 9 and 18, I didn't birdie them.
But I made some good saves, too."
Els played even-par golf after his hot start Friday to finish
at 10-under 132, one shot off the tournament's record for best
score after 36 holes he tied in last year's Buick Classic. David
Graham also shot 131 here in the first two rounds of the 1976
tournament.
Els, the South African coming off his second U.S. Open victory
last weekend at Congressional, had predicted that scores would
not be as good Friday as they were on Thursday. Rains early Thursday
softened up Westchester's tricky greens, but a second day of clear,
warm and breezy weather Friday made it harder for the pros to
get the ball close to the pin.
"They had some pins tucked away and I could hardly get
very close today," Els said. "I hit it 25, 30, 35 feet
most of the day, so it's kind of tough to make birdies from there.
... But around this course, par is not too bad."
Jim Furyk also shot 68 Friday and was alone at 7-under 135.
Jeff Maggert (69) and Brad Fabel (67) were a stroke back at 6-under
136. Tour rookie Robert Damron shot 66 Friday and was among a
large group at 5-under 137.
Tiger Woods birdied his last hole to shoot a 1-over 72 and
was at 2-over 144. He has made all 22 cuts since turning pro in
1996.
Paul Azinger shot a 69 Friday for a two-round total of 136
and a share of third place, only to be disqualified for failing
to sign his scorecard before leaving the scorer's tent after his
last hole Friday, according to PGA tour spokesman Lee Patterson.
Els made birdie putts of 15 feet at No. 2, 35 feet at No. 4,
3-1/2 feet at No. 5 and 8 feet at No. 10. His most important hole
may have been the tough 12th, however. He drove into the rough,
pulled his second shot, flubbed his chip and was short of the
green in 3. He chipped to within 6 feet and made the putt for
a bogey.
"I feel like I'm concentrating quite nicely out there,"
Els said. "I feel like I am focused. I feel like I want to
play well and as I get over my ball to play I'm focused on the
shot I want to play."
Furyk said he also had trouble getting the ball close to the
pin Friday, but made the most of the chances he had with a four-birdie,
one-bogey round.
Els was one of the first players off the tee on Friday, and
he dominated the scoreboard all day as the only player under par
by double digits.
"It's pretty hard to miss the boards out there - they're
about 25 feet by 20 feet - and I am one of those people who like
to look up," Furyk said. "Ernie's been playing super.
... But you really can't worry about how other people are doing."
Maggert, who started the day at 4-under, had a roller coaster
round. He birdied the first hole he played, No. 10, then bogeyed
Nos. 11, 12 and 14. Then he birdied Nos. 18, 1, 2, 3 and 4. Then
he bogeyed No. 7. On the day, he only had eight pars.
Brad Faxon, two strokes back of Els at 5-under to start the
day, ruined his round Friday with a double bogey-double bogey-bogey
finish. He shot 74 to stand at 2-under 140.
Vijay Singh, Buick Classic champion in 1993 and 1995, was at
2-under 140 after a 2-over 73 Friday. He made the cut for the
39th straight time, the longest current streak on the tour.
The winner of the $1.5 million Buick Classic will earn $270,000.
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