McCallister & Franco tie for lead

Blaine McCallister had an eagle and five birdies in a six-hole stretch today to tie defending champion Carlos Franco for the second-round lead in the Compaq Classic.

McCallister birdied Nos. 7-10, eagled the par-5 11th and closed the scoring spree with a birdie on No. 12. The 7-under run is the best six-hole streak on the PGA Tour this year.

"It was a dream. I mean what a way to follow up a bogey," McCallister. "I had the bogey on the 6th and then all of a sudden I'd gone birdie, birdie, birdie, birdie, eagle, birdie. That has a nice ring to it."

He finished with a 7-under 65 to match Franco at 10-under 134 on the windswept English Turn course.

"I've shot some pretty good rounds, in my career. I just haven't put enough of them together in a while," said McCallister, who has won five times on the tour, but not since 1993.

Franco, from Paraguay, had seven birdies for his second straight 67.

"I checked the score all the time," Franco said. "I watched the leader and knew where he was. Now I am in a very good position. Now I have a good chance."

Joel Edwards and Australia's Stuart Appleby were a stroke back at 135, and Glen Day, Paul Stankowski, Jay Williamson and Trinidad and Tobago's Stephen Ames followed at 136.

The wind picked up throughout the day, with McCallister and the other early starters facing gusts up to 15 mph and Franco playing in gusts to 25 mph in the afternoon. Thirty-five players broke par in the morning, compared to 17 in the afternoon.

"Everyday the golf course is different, but my game is very confident," said Franco, the 1999 PGA Tour rookie of the year who has four top-10 finishes this year. "I have a good game for the wind, but I need a little luck."

Appleby drew attention in the first round when he waded into the water on the par-3 12th hole and blasted his ball from the pond onto the green to save a bogey. On Friday, he stayed dry and added a 66 to his first-round 69.

"The course at times is playing borderline really, really nearly impossible on a couple of holes, just from the way the wind is blowing and the greens are drying out," Appleby said.

Edwards, who shot a 66, is coming off his best finish of the year, a tie for third last week in the Houston Open.

"A couple of weeks ago I was really struggling with my swing, and I got a little bit of help from my brother-in-law," Edwards said. "I started playing a lot better and with a little bit more confidence."

Jack and Gary Nicklaus missed the cut. Jack Nicklaus shot a 77 for a 147 total, and Gary Nicklaus had a 73 for a 149 total.

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