Scott Verplank upstaged golf's biggest names to take the lead after the second round at the PGA Tour's season-ending Tour Championship yesterday in Houston.
Verplank, a diabetic who plays wearing an insulin pump strapped to his belt, produced a round of symmetry, picking up three birdies on each nine for a six-under-par 65 in ideal conditions at the par-71 Champions Club.
He posted a 10-under 132 halfway total, one stroke better than German Bernhard Langer (68), while Canadian Mike Weir (66) was two shots behind.
Tiger Woods, who played in severe back pain Thursday, swung much more freely yesterday on his way to a 67.
Frank Lickliter, who shared the first-round lead with Langer, backtracked with a 73 to fall six shots behind Verplank.
"I am not striping it," Verplank said, meaning he isn't hitting the ball as well as he would like. "Not that it's been terrible, but I was a little quick today hitting shots."
Verplank, who won the Canadian Open in September, was in danger of dropping a shot at the par-three 16th, where he hit a "pathetic" tee shot but saved par by coaxing in a 10-foot putt.
Langer, meanwhile, had no complaints about his position, even though he surrendered the lead. "If you'd asked me two days ago whether I would have taken nine-under, I would have," said the 44-year-old. "I drove the ball better than I have all year, which helps tremendously around this course. Obviously there's a lot of life left in this body.
Brandt Jobe admits there's a lot of golf left this weekend at the Annandale Golf Club. But he has to like his chances - at least for retaining his PGA Tour card.
Jobe fired a six-under-par 66 last night to join Carl Paulson atop the leaderboard midway through the season-ending Southern Farm Bureau Classic.
Jobe reached 11-under 133 with an eagle, six birdies and two bogeys. He is 126th on the money list with $392,105 and must move up just one spot to remain exempt for the 2002 season.
HOUSTON SECOND ROUND SCORERS - (USA unless noted): 132 - S Verplank 67 65. 133 - B Langer (Ger) 65 68. 134 - M Weir (Can) 68 66. 135 - M Calcavecchia 71 64, J Leonard 69 66. 136 - S Garcia (Spa) 69 67. 137 - B Estes 71 66, T Woods 70 67, K Perry 70 67, C DiMarco 69 68, E Els (SA) 69 68, T Lehman 69 68, S Lowery 67 70. 138 - J Durant 73 65, D Duval 69 69, B Faxon 68 70, F Lickliter 65 73 139 - D Toms 73 66. 140 - S McCarron 70 70, S Cink 70 70. 141 - J Furyk 70 71. 142 - D Love 70 72. 143 - R Allenby (Aus) 76 67, J Sluman 73 70, V Singh (Fij) 70 73, H Sutton 70 73. 144 - S Stricker 74 70. 145 - S Hoch 74 71.146 - B Mayfair 72 74.
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