Els leads with record high score

Ernie Els turned a long day into a cakewalk, posting a tournament-record score for 36 holes to seize the early second-round lead today in The International.

Els, forced to finish his first round early Friday because of lightning delays on Thursday, gained a share of the first-round lead with 15 points under the modified Stableford scoring system used in this event.

He added 19 points in a nearly flawless second round for a total of 34, breaking the 36-hole record of 29 set by David Toms last year.

The scoring system awards a player with 5 points for an eagle, 2 points for a birdie, zero for a par, minus-1 for a bogey and minus-3 for a double bogey or worse.

Els, five times a runnerup this season, held an 8-point lead over Greg Norman, who is playing in his first tournament since hip surgery five weeks ago. Norman added 14 points to the 12 he totaled in the first round.

Two-time International champion Phil Mickelson and Notah Begay III both had 18 points.

Among those still on the course, Tom Lehman, one of five tied for the opening-round lead at 15, was at 22 with 10 holes to play in his second round.

Els played 25 holes Friday and had 10 birdies and an eagle that were worth 25 points.

Els, who had three birdies in the seven holes he played to finish his first round, had seven birdies and an eagle in his second round.

The eagle came on the par-4, 485-yard 10th hole that consistently ranks as the most difficult on the course. Els split the fairway with a 333-yard drive, then holed out a wedge from 152 yards.

``I hit a perfect drive,'' Els said. ``My wedge bounced a couple of times and spun back into the hole. It was one of those pure shots.''

Els was runnerup in this tournament in 1995, suffering a disastrous double bogey on the 10th hole in his final round.

``That hole owes me,'' he said.

Els lipped out another eagle opportunity with a short pitch on the par-5 17th hole.

``Obviously, I've had two beautiful days on this course,'' Els said. ``I've played about as good as I could from tee to green. The course was playing quite soft and there was not much wind, so it was there for the taking.''

Asked about his stretch of 10 birdies and an eagle, Els said, ``I don't know if I've done that before, but I would like to do it again on the weekend. I'm playing at a nice comfort level.''

Norman admitted he feels fatigue after his surgery and long layoff, but added, ``My mind is free now just to concentrate on golf and not worry about what was wrong with my body. I'm more relaxed. To have the freedom to swing away again is wonderful.''

Tiger Woods, citing a need to rest before the PGA championship, skipped the event. David Duval, the world's third-ranked player, withdrew Thursday after playing six holes because of a lingering back injury.

Among those likely to miss the cut were defending champion David Toms (6 points) and Nick Faldo (3). There also will be a cut after Saturday's third round to the low 36 players and ties. Unlike the early years of this tournament, all scores are cumulative for the four rounds.

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