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Slocim & Imada share halfway lead

Heath Slocum and Ryuji Imada share a two- shot lead at 14-under 130 halfway through the Buy.com Greater Cleveland Open. Slocum carded a six-under 66, while Imada fired a 64 as the duo matched the 36-hole record for this event, which was originally set by Pat Bates in 1997.

Jim Benepe is alone in third at 12-under 132, while Mike Brisky is two back at minus-10.

Slocum started strong on Friday with a pair of two-foot birdie putts at his first two holes, the 10th and 11th. He made it three in a row when he drained a five-foot birdie putt at 12. Slocum could have added another birdie, but he missed a six-foot putt at 13.

Slocum birdied the next two holes after the par when he wedged his second to nine feet at 14 and tapped-in at the par-five 15th.

After the turn, Slocum carded his first bogey of the round when he missed a seven-foot par putt at the par-five hole. He holed a pair of four-foot birdie putts at five and seven for his 66.

"I had my chances but I played really well today, about as well as I did yesterday," said Slocum, who posted a 64 on Thursday. "I think it got a little tougher. It was a little windier today. I was just trying to get as low as I could go because I know these guys out here can shoot low numbers at anytime."

Imada started on the front nine at Quail Hollow Country Club and birdied three holes in a row, starting at five. He bogeyed nine after he missed the green with his approach.

It was the 10th hole where Imada's round turned special. At the par-five hole, Imada drove down the fairway and had 280 yards to the hole. He roped a four-wood toward the hole and watched as his ball rolled into the cup.

"It was not too high, not too low. It was just perfect," said Imada, the winner of the 2000 Buy.com Virginia Beach Open. "It never ballooned. It just kind of landed. Kept a nice trajectory, landed soft and trickled in."

Imada made two 20-foot birdies at 11 and 12 and tapped in a two-footer at 13. He birdied the par-five 15th but blew his chance at the outright lead when he landed in a greenside bunker and failed to get up and down.

"A 64 on any course at any moment is really good," Imada said. "I'm pleased with it. Anytime you have a lead going into the last two rounds you are doing well."

Jay Hobby and Bo Van Pelt share fifth at nine-under while Andrew McLardy, Joe Daley, Bob Friend, Jeff Sanday and Steve Gotsche are knotted at minus- eight.

Casey Martin's first tournament since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that he could ride in a cart during PGA Tour sanctioned events will end earlier than expected. Martin missed the 36-hole cut of three-under 141 by two shots with a three-over 75 on Friday.

"It was a tough day out there," he said."I've been struggling with my game as you can see. I'm just not hitting it straight, and with my driving coming and going like it has, I can't score very well."

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