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Love takes over lead
from Singh
Davis Love III has played
some good golf this season. But not like this.
Love overcame cool, windy
conditions Friday at Callaway Gardens Resort, shooting a 10-under-par 62 for a
one-stroke lead over Vijay Singh of Fiji and Chris DiMarco midway through the
Buick Challenge.
Ranked fourth in the world,
Love has one win and three runner-up finishes this season, shooting a final-round
61 two weeks ago at the Invensys Classic. But he said Friday's round probably
was his best.
"I hit it the best
I have hit it all year, probably, today," said Love, who is at 14-under 130
after two rounds.
Love had five birdies on
the first seven holes and five more on the back nine, using his length off the
tee to set up several birdie opportunities on a windy day at Callaway Gardens.
"It was playing tough,
but from where I was driving it, the wind really wasn't that big a factor because
I was hitting sand wedges and pitching wedges, 6-irons, 4-irons into the par-5s,"
he said.
Singh also used his length
and iron game to conquer the wind and shot a 67, getting him to 13-under 131.
He has 13 top-10 finishes in 24 PGA Tour starts this season but has not won since
last year's Masters.
DiMarco likes events sponsored
by Buick, placing a season-best second at the Buick Open in August. He had a pair
of bogeys Friday but offset them with an eagle and eight birdies en route to a
64.
The tournament within the
tournament heated up Friday as Jesper Parnevik of Sweden battled his way to a
69 to finish on the projected cut line of 2-under 142.
With the 30th spot on the
money list and a trip to the Tour Championship in site, Parnevik is chasing Kenny
Perry, whose 70 has him at 141. Perry is less than $700 ahead of Parnevik.
"Missing the cut here,
I knew I had no chance," said Parnevik, whose wife relayed to him the projected
cut.
Love doesn't have to worry
about the money list. In fact, he didn't have to worry about much Friday during
a round that actually could have been lower than 62.
The 1997 champion narrowly
missed birdie putts at the 16th and 18th holes, lipping out at No. 16.
"I made a few putts,
but I also missed a bunch of putts," he said. "Probably two or three
that you don't expect to make, but I do expect to make, so I balanced them."
Love started in chilly,
windy morning conditions but tapped in from a foot at the par-5 second hole and
was off and running. He had four more birdies on the front side and added his
first on the back at No. 11.
The par-5 11th was a bit
of a disappointment for Love, who missed a six-foot eagle putt. But he knew he
was playing well enough to rebound.
"When I missed the
putt at 11 for eagle, I said, `Man, you just have to be patient with the putter,
because you are putting for birdie or eagle every hole.' Sure enough, I made putts
on the next two holes and three out of the next four."
After making a 35-foot birdie
putt at the 15th, Love finished his birdie spree with a seven-footer at the 17th
and entered the clubhouse knowing he was in good shape.
"I got myself back
in it," he said. "No matter what happens this afternoon, there are not
going to be a whole lot of guys at 10-under-par. So I am in good shape."
He was right. Singh and
DiMarco reached 13-under 131, but Neal Lancaster (132), Joel Edwards, Jeff Maggert
(133) and Bob Estes (134) were the only others to get to 10-under.
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