Winless for almost five years, Tom Lehman put himself in weekend contention for the third straight week with a 6-under 66 Friday, putting him in today's final group at the Funai Classic at Disney and a stroke behind Briny Baird.
"It's nice to get in the hunt and have a chance to either blow it or do something great," Lehman said. "I feel like I haven't blown it the last two times, but I haven't done anything great."
PHOTO: AP
He gets another chance at Disney, where players will keep firing at flags until someone gets to hoist the bronze trophy of Mickey Mouse & friends.
Baird isn't having quite the season he did in 2003 when he qualified for the PGA Tour Championship for the first time, but that could change over the next two days. He shot a 66 on the Palm course and was at 13-under 131.
"The mind-set going into the weekend won't change," Baird said. "I probably need to make another 12 to 15 birdies on the weekend to have any chance at winning the golf tournament."
Cameron Beckman, squarely on the bubble at No. 123 on the money list, had a 65 on the Palm and was in the group at 133 that included Hank Kuehne (64), Kirk Triplett (67) and Skip Kendall (67).
About the only one who didn't take it low on a breezy, warm afternoon was the No. 1 player in the world. Vijay Singh didn't give himself enough good looks at birdie and had to settle for a 71. That left him at 137 and in a tie for 28th as he tries to win his fourth straight PGA Tour event.
The cut was at 4-under 140. Among those who won't cash a check this week are four guys who were just outside the top 125 on the money list with only one more week to get their card. They included Jason Bohn (No. 128) and Scott Hend (No. 132), who followed his 64 with a 78.
Baird had seven birdies and, equally important, six par saves in taking only 23 putts. This is only the third time he has been the 36-hole leader, but it's probably the most tenuous of all.
Not only was his lead only one shot, there were 26 players within five shots of it with 36 holes to play.
Chris DiMarco, who considers Disney the biggest event outside of the majors because of his Orlando roots, had a 65 at Magnolia and was in the group at 10-under 134 that included Harrison Frazar.
Chad Campbell had a 67 and was in a large group at 136, still in position for a rare Orlando sweep -- he also won the Bay Hill Invitational in March.
Lehman used to be a regular at the Tour Championship, but his game has tapered the last two years. His last victory was the 2000 Phoenix Open, and he finished outside the top 50 on the money list each of the last two seasons.
Suddenly, he looks like the Lehman of old.
The difference has been his short stick, which is no longer the shortest stick in his bag. Lehman switched back to his long-handled putter at the Canadian Open last month, and watching more putts disappear into the cup has helped his confidence return. He has had 17 consecutive rounds at par or better since going back to that putter.
"Good putting is what wins tournaments," Lehman said. "You can't ever hit it good enough to be able to win unless you're making your share of putts."
Charles Schwab Cup
While Tom Kite did more with less raw talent than just about anybody during his PGA Tour days, Morris Hatalsky acknowledges he probably could have done more with his natural gifts.
On the Champions Tour, Hatalsky seems ready to harness that talent -- but halfway through the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, he's still trying to match Kite's resourcefulness.
Kite ground out a 2-under 70 in the second round Friday to maintain his one-stroke lead over Hatalsky, Dana Quigley and Hale Irwin in the Champions Tour's season-ending event at Sonoma Golf Club.
Hatalsky's 5-under 67 was the best round among the leaders, but Kite stayed in front at 10-under 134 with an afternoon of saves and clutch putting -- though he didn't know it at the time.
Hale Irwin shot a 69 to improve his chances for two rewards at the tour's season-ending event, where the tournament winner gets US$435,000 and the winner of the season-long Schwab Cup competition takes home a US$1 million annuity.
But the 59-year-old Irwin again struggled for consistency because of his strained back.
"My body is not letting me produce the shots I want to produce," Irwin said. "Thank goodness for a few good putts again. I'm surprised somebody didn't [score] a little lower."
Madrid Open
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