Johnson & Funk tie at halfway

Rookie Zach Johnson produced the day's joint best score, a five-under-par 65, to join Fred Funk at the top of the leaderboard after the second round of the $4.2 million Buick Championship on Friday.

Johnson started the round five shots behind overnight leader Corey Pavin but ended the day level with Funk on eight-under 132 at the TPC at River Highlands.

Funk, who will play for the U.S. in next month's Ryder Cup match against Europe, hit five birdies and would have had the lead to himself but for a bogey at the 18th. Hank Kuehne matched Johnson's 65 to finish one stroke off the pace on 133.

Pavin and Argentina's Jose Coceres were tied for fourth position on 134, with Bob Burns, Kirk Triplett, Esteban Toledo of Mexico, Tom Byrum, Joey Sindelar and Robert Gamez all on 135, five under.

Johnson, 28, was the Nationwide Tour's player of the year in 2003 after he won twice on the junior circuit.

The experience he gained last year has helped his performances in his rookie season on the PGA Tour, which featured a maiden victory at the BellSouth Classic in April.

Johnson told reporters that the junior tour taught him "first and foremost how to win.

"I mean, that tour, especially with its depth, is phenomenal," he added. "I think it's the second best tour in the world, top to bottom. It gets a lot of credit but it doesn't get enough, I don't think."

Johnson, who started his round at the 10th, bogeyed the 12th before stringing together six birdies over the next 15 holes.

"Any time you start hitting your driver well, three-wood well, off the tee box, you feel like you can do something," he said after finding 14 out of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens.

"I felt like my caddie and I had some good game plans as far as tee shots and where to place them, and what shot to hit off the tee.

"Then our approach shots, too, where to hit it, where not to hit it. That's key every week."

Funk was searching for his best game when he arrived here. He made a few changes to his swing in Wednesday's pro-am and continued refining those alterations over the next two days.

It seems to have done the trick after he missed only one green and two fairways in the second round.

"Yesterday when I trusted it, it was really good, and today I trusted it a little bit more, and I'm just reinforcing it now," Funk said of his swing changes.

"I actually hit every shot perfect coming in from 14 on, drives, second shots, putts, everything was just dead on, and I felt really good about that."

The cut fell at one-over-par 141. Among those who missed out were Nick Price, Fred Couples and U.S. Ryder Cup captain Hal Sutton.

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