Sutherland opens six shot lead

David Sutherland posted an eight-under 64 on Friday to grab a six-shot lead at 17-under-par 127 after the halfway point of the Buy.com Utah Classic at Willow Creek Country Club.

Sutherland's 36-hole total of 127 matched the Buy.com Tour record for low opening 36 holes and his six-shot lead also tied the Buy.com Tour record for largest lead. He crushed Andrew Morse's 36-hole record in this tournament by three shots.

Sutherland is a PGA Tour member who is using this event to rehabilitate his shoulder after surgery in March. His original goal for the week was to play four rounds without pain, but now he is looking for his first victory on either tour.

"I wasn't expecting to hit it this well," said Sutherland, who joked that if he knew he would post a 17-under, he would have returned for the British Open. "The shoulder is a little more sore than yesterday. I started hitting shots easier later in the round and that helped."

Sutherland started well with two birdies in his first three holes before he carded back-to-back birdies at 16 and 17 for a front-nine 33. He birdied three of his first five on the second nine and then picked up his first bogey of the tournament at the par-four sixth hole. Sutherland rebounded from the mistake at six with back-to-back birdies at eight and nine to close out his 64.

The 35-year-old has a medical exemption for the 2002 PGA Tour season and could have competed in the Air Canada Championship this week but he decided to start the comeback on the Buy.com Tour with some questions about a PGA Tour member on the Buy.com Tour.

"It's a catch-22 position," he stated. "If I play well, it's expected. I've had a few guys tease me about what I am doing here. Every year there are PGA Tour players out here rehabilitating an injury. I think the guys understand why I am here.

"There are a lot of players out here better than I am. I'm just making some putts. I'm still not sure I would be playing so well if I were on tour," said Sutherland.

Danny Briggs is alone in second place at 11-under par, followed by Mike Heinen at minus-nine.

Bo Van Pelt, Patrick Burke, Greg Twiggs and Charles Raulerson share fourth at eight-under-par 136.

Joe Daley, who lead with Sutherland after the first round, struggled to a six-over-par 78 and is tied for 46th at minus-three.

The 36-hole cut fell at two-under 142 and 76 players qualified for the weekend.

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