Trio lead into the weekend

A charging Hank Kuehne set a course record with an 8-under 64 Friday to join Mark Calcavecchia and Fred Couples for a share of the lead at 11-under 133 after two rounds of the Houston Open.

Kuehne, who didn't even merit a mention in the PGA Tour media guide this year, had a first-round 69 and was in the last group of the day to tee off Friday. Despite a course dried out by temperatures in the 80s and a breeze, he rolled into contention with five birdies on his front nine, then three more on the back side, shooting a tournament-best 64 as darkness fell.

"It was getting pretty dark but I didn't want to come back," he said. "When you're playing well and things are going your way, you want to stay out there."

The 28-year-old is playing in only his 25th Tour event and 22nd since turning pro in 1999. Early this month he finished tied for third at the BellSouth Classic and the $208,000 check was easily his biggest payday.

Couples opened with a 65 Thursday to top the field by one stroke and had another solid day with a 4-under 68 that left him knotted with Calcavecchia, who shot 65 Friday, and Kuehne at 133, one shot better than Jay Haas after 36 holes at the 7,508-yard Redstone Golf Club .

Paul Stankowski, with a 66 Friday, and defending champion Vinjay Singh were another shot back at 9-under 135. David Toms, also with a second-round 66, was in a group at 8-under.

Calcavecchia was among almost half the field who finished their first round early Friday because weather problems delayed play the previous day. He wrapped up that round with a pair of birdies to shoot 4-under 68, then 35 minutes later started round No. 2 with another pair of birdies.

"I kind of kept it going," said the 11-time winner who is looking for his first victory in more than two years. "That's nice to be able to do that."

In control all day, Calcavecchia converted a 20-footer for birdie on the par-4 444-yard 11th hole. On No. 12, at 577 yards the second-longest hole on the course, his third shot from about 60 yards out landed 2 feet from the cup, making for another easy birdie. Then he had back-to-back birdies on 14 and 15 before parring out.

"I am playing real well," he said after gaining a tournament lead for the first time since Greensboro, N.C. a year ago this week. "I have been keeping my driver in play and hitting my irons pretty good and made a few putts."

Couples started right where he left off a day earlier. He rolled in a 20-footer for birdie on No. 1 and made birdie on the fourth hole with a 12-foot putt. After a bogey at No. 5, his drive on the par-3 eighth landed less than 3 feet from the pin for birdie. He then boomed a 332-yard drive on No. 9 - the longest hole on the course - to set up another birdie to get him to 10-under and make the turn one shot behind.

He bogeyed the par-4 11th hole before rebounding on No. 13 with a chip in from the fairway for a birdie. Then on No. 17, a par 4, he rolled in a 20-footer for a birdie to allow him to reclaim a share of the lead.

"It was a great round," Couples said. "I felt like I was in fairly good control of my game.

"I played a good round of golf where I didn't want to make a mistake, or try not to. And it worked out great."

Haas, who hasn't won in a decade, won this event in 1987 when it was played at the TPC at The Woodlands. This year the tournament, sponsored by Shell Oil Co., was moved from The Woodlands complex after a 28-year run to the new sprawling Redstone Golf Club, the fourth-longest course on the Tour.

Divots: Haas is playing in this event for the 24th time. Only two golfers, John Mahaffey (26) and Lionel Hebert (25), have played more Tour stops in Houston. ... Hal Sutton finished second last week at the MCI Heritage and won this event two years ago. He missed the cut, which was at 3-under, after two rounds of 74, 4-over. ... Course designer Peter Jacobsen, who opened with a 67, remained in contention by shooting a 71.

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