Roberts & Perez share 36 hole lead

Loren Roberts sank two long birdie putts on his last three holes and PGA Tour rookie Pat Perez made nine birdies Friday to share the second-round lead at the Valero Texas Open.

Both are at 10-under 130, but their lead is slim.

Rory Sabbatini, Bob Tway, Brian Gay, Andrew Magee and Matt Peterson are at 131, while seven others -- including first-round leader Robert Gamez -- stood at 132.

Garrett Willis tied the PGA Tour's lowest round of the year with a 61 on a warm and windless day at the par-70 La Cantera Golf Club to join the group two shots off the lead.

Two-time defending champion Justin Leonard, who shot a 70 Friday, missed the cut by one stroke.

"I didn't play well at all," said Leonard, who also had second-place finishes here in 1995 and 1998. "I guess all those good rounds have caught up with me."

Roberts finished on the front nine and drained a 20-foot putt on No. 7 and then a 25-footer, both for birdie, to move to the top of the leaderboard. He one-putted from 10 feet to save par on No. 9 for a 63 after shooting a first-round 67.

"I missed a bunch of putts yesterday, and I changed my thought process," said Roberts, whose last Tour win came in 2000. "I started playing not as much grain, just started going straighter at the hole."

Willis posted five birdies on the front nine, an eagle on the par-5, 527-yard 14th, and then ended his round with three straight birdies.

But Willis said he played less aggressively Friday after shooting a 71 in the opening round.

"I go for broke just about on every shot," Willis said. "That's where I've really struggled with my game this year -- trying to find the areas to pick and choose when to go for it and when to not.

"Today I was hitting the ball a little bit better, so I chose to play some conservative shots."

Perez birdied five of his first seven holes, and finished with three more birdies on his final four holes to post a 62.

"I knew if I could get to 3 under (at the turn), I could really make a charge," he said.

Sabbatini followed an opening 66 with a 65, and later spoke about his consistency at hilly La Cantera.

"If you just keep your composure when you are out there and take advantage of the opportunities you get, when you do get them, you can go low," he said. "If I have made mistakes, I've limited the damage."

Gamez shot a 69 Friday after a 63 in the first round.

He hurt himself with a double-bogey 7 on the 14th, which has played as a birdie hole for most of the competitors, but then bounced back with birdies on Nos. 15 and 16.

Gamez said his shots Friday seemed to be either too long or too short.

"Yesterday it seemed like I had the perfect yardage for every shot, and today I was between clubs all day," he said.

With Gamez and Willis at 132 were Mark Brooks, D.A. Weibring, Jeff Brehaut, John Huston and Shaun Micheel.

Email this page to a friend | Return to top of page