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 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.
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 in Grand Blanc, Mich.
“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.
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.
Skinner, who has played in the tour’s qualifying tournament every year since 1983, followed his opening 62 with a 76 for 138.
LPGA Friendly’s Classic: Pat Hurst spent the afternoon hacking out of the sand on the way to a 3-under-par 69 and a one-stroke lead at Agawam, Mass.
“Just making a sand save helps your confidence a lot,” Hurst said after reaching the tournament’s midway point at 5-under 139.
Chris Johnson, co-leader after the first round, shot a par 72 and was at 140. Defending champion Dottie Pepper (70), Karrie Webb (72), Kristi Albers (69), Nancy Harvey (68) and first-round co-leader Joan Pitcock (73) were at 3-under 141.
Northville Long Island Seniors: Jose Maria Canizares, a veteran of the European PGA tour playing in only his fifth senior tournament, shot a course-record 8-under-par 64 for the first-round lead at Jericho, N.Y.
Canizares, who turned 50 in February, entered the tournament with a sponsor’s exemption and repaid the favor with an eagle and seven birdies against one bogey.
The 64 was one better than the mark shared by five players, the last John Paul Cain in 1995.
Hubert Green, winless in his rookie season after 26 years on the PGA Tour, shot a 65. Lee Trevino, the 1994 and 1995 Northville winner who has only two victories since then, shot a 66.
U.S. Women’s Amateur: Robin Burke and Silvia Cavalleri converted solid play around the greens into berths in the championship match of at Brae Burn Country Club in Newton, Mass.
Burke, of Houston, defeated Heather Graff, of Kennewick, Wash., 3 and 2, while Cavalleri, of Milan, Italy, defeated Andrea Baxter, of Eagle, Idaho, 2 and 1.
Burke’s husband, Jack Burke Jr., won the PGA Championship 41 years ago just down the street in Canton. He was in the gallery throughout his wife’s victory and planned to be on hand for the 36-hole final Saturday as his wife, who wasn’t born when he won in 1956, tries to bring home a second national championship for the family from this area.
“The Burkes do well in Boston,” Jack Burke said. “That was a chipping and putting clinic out there today.”
