Paul Azinger is halfway
to shedding his bridesmaid role in Hawaii.
Azinger, who has finished
second three times and in the top 10 on five other occasions when the Sony Open
was known as the Hawaiian Open, shot a 5-under-par 65 today to reach the midway
mark with a five-stroke lead.
Azinger's 36-hole score
of 12-under 128 kept him well clear of three players, two of whom are former
Hawaiian Open champions.
John Huston won the last
Hawaiian Open in 1998, shooting a PGA Tour-record 28-under-par score over the
Waialae Country Club course.
Sharing second with Huston
were Jim Furyk and Stuart Appleby, all with 67s that left them at 7-under 133.
At 6-under 134 were defending
champion Jeff Sluman, Jerry Kelly, Vijay Singh and Chris DiMarco.
Larry Mize made the day's
biggest jump to climb into contention. After opening with a 2-over 72, he shot
a 7-under 63 with a string on four birdies on the back nine. Mize was at 135
with Ernie Els, Sean Murphy, Neal Lancaster, Scott Dunlap, Jesper Parnevik and
Chris Riley.
Gary Nicklaus, making his
PGA Tour debut on a sponsor's exemption, shot a 70 to reach the midway mark at
1-under 139.
On the first hole Friday,
Huston inched to within one stroke of the leader after a two-stroke swing on
the hole. Azinger righted himself with three birdies on the front nine and three
more coming in.
England's Ed Fyratt making
his PGA Tour debut after gaining his card missed the cut by a shot while Open
Champion Paul Lawrie, also missed the cut one shot off last place at +10.
