Parry & Herron tied into weekend

After needing 235 starts to get his first PGA Tour victory, Craig Parry put himself in position for another Friday with an 8-under 64 that gave him a share of the lead with Tim Herron at the Buick Challenge.

Parry, a runaway winner in the NEC Invitational at Sahalee two months ago, matched his lowest round ever on the PGA Tour and felt as if he needed to apologize - at least to his playing partners.

He not only made most of his birdie putts, the 38-year-old Aussie even turned a troublesome lie in the rough on No. 16 into birdie by chipping in from about 25 feet.

"The ball kept going in from everywhere," Parry said after finishing two rounds at Callaway Gardens at 13-under 131. "Today was pretty special."

Joining him was Herron, the first-round leader who again mastered the front nine of the Mountain View course. He has played the front nine in 11 under, and his five birdies staked him to a 4-under 68 and a share of the lead.

Phil Mickelson was another stroke behind after a 67 - a strong score considering his problems on his front nine.

It started on the par-5 15th, where Mickelson drove into the left rough. He had a slight downhill lie that would help keep the ball under some tree limbs, then 235 yards to a green protected by a large section of the lake.

Time for a 3-wood.

"It really wasn't that hard of a shot," Mickelson said. "I had a good lie. The green was 60 or 70 yards wide. I just hit it fat."

He had to get up-and-down from thick rough to make bogey, then hit a poor chip on the 17th and three-putted from 20 feet for a double bogey.

Mickelson bounced back strong, however, making birdie on seven of his last 10 holes.

"There's a lot of birdies out there," Mickelson said. "To only shoot 12 under, with the lead only at 13 under ... it's not as low as it should be. There should be a 12 or 13 under in one round, not over two."

It sounds outrageous, but he might be right. The cut last week at the Disney World Golf Classic was at 6-under par, a record on the PGA Tour. This time, it was 5 under.

Attribute that to the gray skies, soggy golf course from a steady mist and soft greens that allowed players to take aim at the flags.

More rain is expected over the weekend, so the starting times have been moved up to 8 a.m. on Saturday, and 7 a.m. Sunday, when daylight-saving time begins.

Jonathan Byrd had a 66 and was at 11-under 133, while the group at 134 included David Toms (68), Chris Riley (66) and J.L. Lewis (66).

With so many birdies available, no one is out of the tournament. Only eight strokes separate the top from the bottom.

Lewis figured he needed 15 under on the weekend just to have a chance to win. That wouldn't get him into the Tour Championship, but the 42-year-old former club pro from Texas still wants to get into the top 40 on the money list to qualify for the Masters.

Parry can get into the Tour Championship with a victory, although that's not what motivates him this week. He already has purchased his plane ticket home to Australia, no matter how he finishes at Callaway Gardens or if he cracks the top 30 on the money list.

"I figured if I was going to get into the top 30, I would have to win this week," he said. "And if I won this week, that's enough money. I'll go home." 18th player to miss the cut at a tournament where he was the defending champion. ... Parry also had a 64 in the first round of the Las Vegas Classic last year. ... Brandel Chamblee was disqualified after opening with a 5-under 67 because of the most minor details that he overlooked. He never officially registered when he arrived at Callaway Gardens. Briny Baird also was disqualified after a 76 for not taking a penalty stroke. He didn't realize his mistake until talking about his round with a tour official. ... Scott Verplank withdrew Friday because of personal reasons. ... Craig Perks won The Players Championship and $1,080,000, but he won't be going to the Tour Championship. Perks was 34th on the money list and missed the cut. Bob Estes, who is 26th on the money list, almost missed the cut, although he should be safe. ... Rookie-of-the-year candidate Peter Lonard missed his first cut of the year.

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