Morgan leads after second 66

Gil Morgan shot his second straight 4-under 66 in windy conditions Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over Tom Jenkins into the final round of the Blue Angels Classic.

Morgan, the SBC Classic winner last month and Champions Tour money leader this season, said coming from wind-blown Oklahoma might give him an edge dealing with coastal breezes on the treeless Scottish-style course in the Florida Panhandle.

"I don't like playing in the wind, obviously, but maybe I've had a little more experience from a career standpoint than some of the players have," Morgan said.

Jenkins shot a 65, and Gary Koch and Wayne Levi were three strokes back after 67s on the Moors Golf Club course.

Morgan, a 23-time winner in nine seasons on the 50-and-over tour, said he felt rusty following the Tour's three-week break, but quickly found his game.

"That's what happens when you are a dinosaur," Morgan said. "You know what it takes to get back."

First-round leader Fuzzy Zoeller was among seven players four strokes back at 136. Zoeller shot a 71.

Morgan and defending champion Bob Gilder trailed Zoeller by a stroke after the first round. Gilder dropped into the pack with a 73 for a two-round total of 139, seven strokes behind the leader.

Jenkins praised Morgan.

"With his shot-making ability, he drives the ball so straight and solid that the wind doesn't really affect him," Jenkins said. "It's just like a rifle when he hits it, just straight as a string."

Formerly known as the Emerald Coast Classic, the tournament was renamed for the Blue Angels, the Navy's precision flying team based at nearby Pensacola Naval Air Station after last year's event.

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