VETERAN D A Weibring, on the comeback trail after a debilitating illness, enjoyed a welcome tonic as he moved into second place behind PGA Tour rookie Kevin Sutherland after the second round of the $1.5 million Canon Greater Hartford Open in Cromwell, Connecticut yesterday.
Weibring and Sutherland carded five-under-par 65s - the lowest scores yesterday - at the River Highlands TPC. Sutherland leads at eight-under 132, one stroke ahead of Weibring, while first-round joint leader Joe Daley (70) was two shots back.
Defending champion Greg Norman, the other first-round pacesetter, struggled to a 73 in the windier morning conditions to slip five strokes off the pace.
Weibring (43) awoke on February 26th with the right side of his face paralysed. His immediate thought was that he had suffered a stroke, but his condition was diagnosed as Bell's Palsy, which can last up to six months, and recur without warning after that.
"I didn't know if I'd be able to play again. I had to tape my right eye shut (to sleep). I was only sleeping three hours a night," said Weibring, who made five birdies.
Sutherland, a graduate of the secondary Nike tour, sank a 20-foot birdie putt at the final hole to snare the outright lead. Seventy nine players made the cut, which fell at three-over 143.
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