Eagle helps Els open four-shot Buick Open lead
By HARRY ATKINS AP Sports Writer
GRAND BLANC, Mich. (AP) - Ernie Els, stringing together brilliant
streaks with a little luck, opened a four-shot lead over Dan Forsman
in the Buick Open with a second-round 63 on Friday.
Els had a 13-under-par total of 131. Forsman, whose last victory
on the PGA Tour came in the 1992 Buick Open, shot 67 for 135.
John Morse, Chris Perry, Brad Fabel, Lanny Wadkins, Hal Sutton
and Allen Doyle were at 136. Fabel, winless on the PGA Tour, and
Doyle each shot 67. Morse, a former University of Michigan golf
captain, Perry, Wadkins and Sutton shot 69s.
The powerful Els, clearly gearing up for a run at his third
major title in next week's PGA Championship, pitched in twice
- once for an eagle - at Warwick Hills Country Club, about 60
miles north of Detroit.
"It's not often you can turn a round like that, you know,"
Els said. "Yesterday, I let a 63 become a 68. Today, I turned
a 68 into a 63. So, I'm happy about that."
Els, who won his second U.S. Open and the Buick Classic on
successive weekends in June, began the round at 4-under, six strokes
behind surprising first-round leader Sonny Skinner.
Els started quickly, making birdie on No. 1, then stringing
together three more at Nos. 5-7. He pitched in from 25 feet off
the green at No. 4. Then came his charge on the back side.
It started with an eagle at No. 13, a 548-yard par-5, that
got Els to 10-under. His 5-wood second shot landed between the
grandstand and a bunker on the left side of the green, about 40
yards from the flag. After two unsuccessful drop attempts, Els
was allowed to place his ball.
He pitched in for eagle, then followed with birdies at Nos.
14-16.
"The way things were going for me today, I felt like I
could do anything," Els said. "I was just throwing it
straight at the flag."
Forsman got back in the hunt with five birdies in a bogey-free
round.
"I hung in there," Forsman said. "I wanted to
get on a roll. If you don't get moving soon on this golf course,
you're not around for the weekend."
Crowd favorite Tiger Woods recovered from an uninspired 72
in the opening round to shoot 4-under 68 for 140. Woods, starting
on the back, turned in 31 after a bogey-free first nine. As he
did in the opening round, however, Woods couldn't get his putts
to drop.
After settling for par on Nos. 1-8, Woods bogeyed his final
hole.
"I hit it better today," Woods said. "I managed
my game a little better. I didn't make any dumb mistakes until
my last hole when I hit a 9-iron over the green."
Skinner, who has played in the tour's qualifying tournament
every year since 1983, followed his opening 62 with a 76 for 138.
"If your confidence level is high, it's not too hard at
all," said Morse, who finished fourth in the 1996 U.S. Open
at nearby Oakland Hills. "If you start spinning your wheels,
there are devils."
Payne Stewart shot 65 for 137. Stewart with two major championships
among his nine PGA Tour victories, hasn't won anything since the
1995 Houston Open. With an eye on next week's PGA Championship
at Winged Foot, however, it appeared Stewart was fine-tuning his
game.
"It wasn't a pure round of golf by any means," Stewart
said. "You just get the job done. I drove the ball (poorly).
I could count the fairways I hit on one hand." DIVOTS: Among
other notable finishers: New Zealander Frank Nobilo shot 71 and
Bob Tway shot 69 and were tied with Woods at 140. Jeff Sluman
shot 72, and Steve Elkington 71 as part of a large group at 141.
Defending champion Justin Leonard, paired with Woods and Stewart,
shot 72 for 142. David Duval followed an opening 67 with 77 for
144 and missed the cut. John Daly, on rounds of 77 and 74, also
missed the cut.
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