TORONTO, 17 April 2005 — Britain’s Darren Clarke fired a sizzling second round six-under 65 to take a six-stroke lead at the Heritage Classic in Hilton Head, South Carolina on Friday.
It was the second consecutive day Clarke had signed for a 65 but his effort on Friday was the more impressive as gusting, swirling winds whipped across the Harbor Town Golf Links allowing only 24 players to break par.
Clarke was imperious on the narrow fairways and small greens splitting six birdies evenly on the front and back nine to leave him at 12-under 130, six shots clear of American Patrick Sheehan and first round leader Peter Lonard of Australia. It is the largest 36-hole lead in the $5.2 million event’s history.
Lonard, who scorched Harbor Town for 11 birdies on the way to an opening round 62, had just four in his second round and mixed them with seven bogeys, as he battled to three-over 74. Sheehan was one of the handful to break par finishing with a one-under 70 while fourth-placed Frenchman Thomas Levet also struggled in the difficult conditions shooting a 74.
Rod Pampling, coming off a fifth place at the US Masters, continued his superb form with a two-under 69 to join fellow Australian Nick O’Hern and Americans Jim Furyk, Cameron Beckman, Jimmy Walker, Woody Austin and five-time champion Davis Love III on 139, nine shots off the lead.
A sixth victory would not only be worth over $900,000 to Love but would move him to joint second place behind Sam Snead for the most wins in a single event on the PGA Tour. Snead won the Greater Greensboro Classic eight times. Former US Open winner Tom Kite was disqualified for the first time in his 34-year career after signing an incorrect scorecard.
Ward Closes In on First LPGA Win in Four Years
In Las Vegas, Nevada, Wendy Ward fired a four-under 68 on Friday for a three-shot lead at the LPGA Takefuji Classic, putting herself in position to claim her first LPGA Tour victory in four years.
Ward’s effort put her at 11-under 133, three strokes in front of Australian Karrie Webb and American Moira Dunn.
Webb, tied for the lead after Thursday’s first round, shot a 71. Dunn fired a 67.
Starting at the 10th, Ward nabbed her first birdie of the day at the 18th, where she hit a pitching wedge inside of two feet.
Ward’s only bogey came on the par-four first but she rebounded back with a birdie at the second. She closed with birdies at two par-fives — six and nine — and drained a nine foot putt at the par-four eighth.
“I was hitting crooked off the tee and I was making some really good saves but that doesn’t jump you ahead any,” said Ward, who is seeking her first win since the 2001 Wendy’s Championship. “So it was important that I made a birdie on 18 and got it going a little bit after that.”
Webb fired eight birdies on Thursday but was unable to get into the same rhythm Friday. She had three birdies, including two in a row at nine and 10, but she had three-putt bogeys at the par-three third and par-three 17th.
Chile’s Nicole Perrot, South Korean Mi Hyun Kim, Mexico’s Lorena Ochoa and 16-year-old amateur In-Bee Park of South Korea were tied for fourth at seven-under.
Ochoa was sensational, firing a tournament record nine-under 63 to get back into contention after opening with a 74. She started on No. 10 and came out hot, carding birdies on her first three holes and finishing the side with birdies at 16 and 18.
Ochoa started her final nine with four straight pars before guiding an eight-iron to four feet to set up a birdie at five and following it up with a birdie at the sixth. Ochoa finished as she began, carding a birdie at the par-five ninth to eclipse the record of 65 shared by Michele Redman (2003) and Ward and Webb on Thursday.
The world’s best female golfer, Annika Sorenstam posted a dominant eight-shot victory at the Kraft Nabisco Championship — the first LPGA major of the year — on March 27. Sorenstam has won her last five tournaments but is not entered here.
