Barr takes over lead with 65

Last year, Dave Barr played on three tours without much success. This year, he seems to have found a comfort level on the Champions Tour.

Barr fired a 7-under-par 65 that featured an eagle and vaulted him to the lead after Saturday's second round of the $1.6 million Ace Group Classic.

Barr played on the PGA and erstwhile Buy.com and Senior tours last year, amassing less than $165,000 in prize money before heading back to Qualifying School. The Canadian finished tied for fifth in the pressure-packed tournament and has made the most of his 2003 exemption.

Last week, Barr notched his first victory since 1987, winning the Royal Caribbean Classic. This week, he has put together rounds of 68 and 65 for a one-shot lead over fellow Q-School finalist Jay Overton and first-round leader Vicente Fernandez.

"It's nice to see the ball going in the hole," Barr said. "I'm just riding the wave right now. It helps knowing I was exempt at the start of the year."

A highly superstitious man who only uses white tees and always carries a quarter and two pennies in his pocket, Barr will be trying to become the first player since Larry Nelson in 2001 to win his first two starts of the season.

"I'm not worrying about two in a row," he said. "I don't want to get ahead of myself."

Barr got ahead of everyone else with birdies at two of the last three holes. He landed a 9-iron 10 feet from the cup at the par-3 16th and drained an 18-footer at the par-4 18th.

Earlier, Barr eagled the par-5 13th, going driver-3-wood before sinking a 15-footer for the only eagle of the day at the 520-yard hole.

"The ball is rolling so pure on these greens," Barr said. "They're a little quick in spots."

Playing with a pair of Champions Tour mainstays, Overton shot a bogey-free 9-under 63 on the TwinEagles Golf Course to climb into contention for his first career win.

"The biggest thing today was the pairing," Overton said. "I know Leonard Thompson and Doug Tewell very well. We fed off each other."

A former prep football star in North Carolina, Overton birdied five of the last seven holes. He knocked in an 18-footer at No. 18 to match the best round in the 16-year history of this event.

Another round like that and Overton won't have to worry about his partial exempt status, which forced him to qualify on Monday.

"I felt like I belonged in this tournament and just had to go out and prove it on Monday," he said. "I've been a little frustrated about my limited access out here, but I knew the rules starting out. This tour is basically for the ex-PGA Tour players. Hopefully I can play my way out here."

Fernandez slipped to a 68 after opening with a 66. He also was bogey-free, holing birdies at three of the four par-5s.

"Today was a little bit more tricky," said Fernandez, who has not won since the 1999 Las Vegas Senior Classic. "The wind switched and it was harder to get it close."

Australian Rodger Davis also shot 65 and moved into a tie at 9-under 135 with Jim Thorpe, who carded a 68. They are one shot ahead of Tom Watson (68) and Mike McCullough (69).

Watson has 43 victories between the PGA and Champions Tours but never has won in Florida, going 0-for-83.

Defending champion Hale Irwin shot a 70. He is trying to become the first repeat winner here since Mike Hill nine years ago but is six strokes off the pace.

Former PGA Tour Player of the Year Wayne Levi, who opened with a 69, withdrew due to food poisoning.

TwinEagles is a par-72 layout measuring 7,134 yards. First prize is $240,000.

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