Lowery leads as others fade in heat

At 7 a.m., the sweat was already soaking Justin Leonard's shirt on the driving range. Then it really got hot.

An oppressively humid day withered away one potential good round after another today in the Kemper Insurance Open. Even Casey Martin, given the benefit of riding a cart, fell apart on the back nine after tying a tournament record with five consecutive birdies.

Steve Lowery birdied four of the first five holes, but was walking the fairways with a white towel around his neck by the 8th hole. He persevered on the back nine to finish the second round with a 3-under-par 68 for a 10-under 132 total and a one-stroke lead over Leonard, Donnie Hammond and Chris DiMarco.

``I was fading a little bit mentally on the last nine,'' Lowery said. ``I hung in there and made a few good up-and-downs. But it was pretty hard out there. I was able to make pars, but it was pretty tough to concentrate.''

The National Weather Service said the high temperature was a mere 92 degrees, but a high dew point officially classified the conditions as ``oppressive.'' The players didn't need anybody official to tell them that - even Leonard didn't feel he caught much of a break with his 7:42 a.m. tee time.

``It's pretty warm out there - you can see my shirt,'' said Leonard, pointing at his wet garment.

Leonard's 68 included a nice 20-foot bender of a putt on the sloping green at No. 7, and Lowery putted a 50-footer for a birdie from well off the green at No. 1

But it was Martin who put on a clinic - at least for a few holes. His driver was wayward, but his irons and putting were uncanny on the front nine. He rolled in a putt from more than 60 feet at No. 3 and exclaimed: ``That could be the longest putt I've ever made.''

Martin birdied Nos. 2-6, and the gallery was supportive for the golfer engaged in a long-running battle with the PGA Tour to ride a cart because of his degenerative leg disorder.

But, as Martin moved up the leaderboard, the obvious question arose. On this hot day, was his cart a golfer's best friend?

Lowery, who felt the heat as badly as anyone, didn't begrudge Martin.

``The problems he has, I can't ever see that being an advantage,'' Lowery said. ``Every time he plays well it doesn't have to be because of the cart.''

But Martin, like most of the field, couldn't keep it going on the back nine. He put his tee shot in the creek at No. 12 for a double bogey and botched a flop shot as he bogeyed the 13th. After a 31 on the front nine, Martin was 3 over on the back nine with two holes remaining when play was suspended by lightning at 6:25 p.m. He was at 5 under for the tournament.

Jay Williamson, co-leader after the first round, didn't wait for Sunday to fall off the leaderboard this year. Williamson, who lost the lead in the fourth round here four years ago, shot a 74 for a 138 total, six shots back.

Defending champion Rich Beem shot a 74 for a 144 total. He is unlikely to make the cut.

DiMarco and Hammond, a native of nearby Frederick, Md., and playing on a sponsor's exemption, both shot 66, matching the best rounds of the day.

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