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Aoki takes lead after 68

Isao Aoki posted a two-under 68 on Friday to grab a one-shot lead at one-under-par 139 after the second round of the Senior Tour's third major of the season, the U.S. Senior Open.

First-round leader Bruce Fleisher had sole possession of first place but two closing bogeys dropped him into a tie for second with Gil Morgan, who carded his second consecutive even-par 70. The duo is one shot ahead of Larry Nelson and Dana Quigley, who share fourth at one-over par.

Aoki started on the second nine at the Salem Country Club and broke into red figures for the first time at the 163-yard, par-three 12th. His tee shot landed six feet from the hole and the 58-year-old ran home the birdie putt. Aoki added another birdie two holes later after his third at the par-five 14th came to rest nine feet from the cup.

A three-putt bogey at the 16th dropped Aoki to even par for the tournament but he parred the remaining two holes on his front nine for a one-under 34.

Aoki's troubles continued on the 460-yard second hole as he hit a terrible drive and was forced to chip for his third shot. He mishit the chip and then two-putted for his second bogey in five holes.

Solid iron play got Aoki back on top of the leaderboard. He hit an eight-iron to nine feet for birdie at the par-three-third and at the next hole, Aoki played a nine-iron to 15 feet to set up his fourth birdie of the round.

The Tokyo resident three-putted from 30 feet out to card a bogey at the seventh hole. He reclaimed the lost stroke at the next hole when his nine-iron approach landed 12 feet from the cup. That birdie made Aoki the only player in the field under par after 36 holes of this event.

"This morning was quite cooler, a lot cooler than yesterday," Aoki said through an interpreter. "And the holes that were tough yesterday into the wind, they were downwind today. Yesterday I was a little aggressive, attacking the pins. But today I just wanted to get in on the green and that probably worked out a lot better."

Aoki is looking to join Roberto DeVincenzo as the only players over the age of 55 to win a U.S. Senior Open. Aoki's last victory on the elder circuit came in 1998 when he won the BellSouth Senior Classic.

Aoki is most notable for his performance at the 1980 U.S. Open at Baltusrol Golf Club. He battled Jack Nicklaus down to the wire but lost by two strokes.

Fleisher posted a front-nine 37 but rebounded on his second nine with back-to- back birdies at 13 and 14. He became the first player in the field to reach two-under par but faltered down the stretch.

He hit a three-iron long at the par-four 17th and took a bogey to fall back into a tie for first at one-under. At the closing hole, Fleisher selected the wrong club and missed the green short. He chipped to 12 feet and two-putted for another bogey to drop from the lead.

"I made it to the weekend, I got through that first hurdle," said Fleisher, who held the lead through three rounds last year only to see Hale Irwin fire a final-round 65 and rob Fleisher of his chance at a first major title. "I'm hitting the ball good enough but I didn't really putt that well today."

Morgan scored two birdies on his front side, the back nine at Salem Country Club, but dropped two strokes with bogeys at 10 and 17.

Jim Thorpe fired a 65 on Friday, the lowest round of the tournament and a score that tied the record for the lowest second round in U.S. Senior Open history. His five-under 30 on the front side matched the record for lowest nine-hole score at a Senior Open.

Thorpe vaulted into tie for sixth at two-over 142 with Raymond Floyd, Jim

Thorpe was not the only player to get into the record books on Friday. Tom Kite rebounded from a front-nine 40 with a record 30 on the second nine. Kite shares 10th with Bob Gilder, Dave Stockton, Hubert Green, defending champion Hale Irwin and Nicklaus at plus-three.

The 36-hole cut fell at nine-over 149 and the most notable player who failed to qualify for the weekend was Arnold Palmer. The King followed his 81 on Thursday with a five-over 75 and missed the cut by seven.

"Well, I'm disappointed," said the 71-year-old Palmer. "But I'm getting to the age where that isn't unusual anymore. My scores have not been good. I keep feeling like I'll pick it up and get it going. But as of yet that hasn't happened. So I'll go home and watch it on TV."

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