Bob Gilder extends lead to two shots

Bob Gilder shot a 5-under 67 Saturday to maintain a two-stroke lead after two rounds of the Constellation Energy Classic.

Gilder birdied the par-4 18th to reach a tournament-record 13-under 131 after 36 holes at Hayfields Country Club.

D.A. Weibring and Morris Hatalsky are tied for second at 11 under. Two-time U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange Curtis Strange (66) and Senior British Open champ Tom Watson (68) are three strokes back.

Gilder, a seven-time winner on the Champions Tour, is trying to become the second straight wire-to-wire winner of the $1.7 million event. Defending champion Wayne Levi is at 3-under 141 after a second-round 70.

Weibring eagled the par-4 15th to briefly move into the lead, but he made a bogey at the 18th and settled for 66. Hatalsky birdied the final four holes for a 31 on the back nine to tie the course record of 8-under 64, matching Gilder's opening score and the mark shared by five others.

Bruce Fleisher moved into contention with a 66 for a 9 under total, and former major league pitcher Rick Rhoden had a 68 and leads a four-player group at 8 under.

Gilder had six birdies in the second round and played the par 5s in 3 under. He regained the lead with a birdie on the par-5 16th and closed the round with a 3 at 18.

``I like the par 5s,'' he said. ``I told myself to be aggressive and don't be defensive. Everybody thinks you're supposed to keep winning out here. It's not that easy, even though I've been successful out here.''

The 54-year-old Gilder, the Champions Tour's rookie of the year in 2001, is looking for his first victory since the 2003 Emerald Coast Classic.

Lee Trevino, playing in his first event since January because of back pain and after undergoing minor surgery in May, followed an opening 80 with a 73.

131 Bob Gilder 64 67

133 Morris Hatalsky 69 64, D A Weibring 67 66

134 Curtis Strange 68 66, Tom Watson 66 68

135 Bruce Fleisher 69 66

136 Dan Pohl 66 70, Hajime Meshiai (Jpn) 67 69, Pete Oakley 69 67, Rick Rhoden 68 68

137 John Ross 68 69, John Bland (Rsa) 67 70

138 Larry Nelson 67 71, John Jacobs (Eng) 67 71, Gary McCord 69 69, Brad Bryant 71 67

139 Keith Fergus 69 70, James Mason 70 69, Gary Koch 72 67

140 Tom Kite 73 67, Andy Bean 68 72, Jim Colbert 68 72, Don Pooley 71 69, Bob Murphy 70 70, Joe Inman 71 69, Mike McCullough 71 69

141 Wayne Levi 71 70, Jerry Pate 73 68, Dana Quigley 71 70, Dave Barr (Can) 70 71, Doug Tewell 71 70, Mark McCumber 74 67, Ed Dougherty 71 70, Mike Sullivan 71 70, Bob Charles (Nzl) 69 72

142 Mark James (Eng) 68 74, Bruce Summerhays 72 70, Tom Jenkins 69 73, Tom McKnight 72 70, Bobby Wadkins 71 71

143 Jim Albus 71 72, Howard Twitty 71 72, Mike San Filippo 70 73, David Eger 72 71, Rocky Thompson 70 73, R.W. Eaks 75 68, Jay Sigel 71 72, Graham Marsh (Aus) 71 72

144 Allen Doyle 69 75, Gibby Gilbert 70 74, Lonnie Nielsen 73 71, Jim Thorpe 73 71, Mike Hill 73 71, John Harris 74 70, Norm Jarvis 71 73, Doug Johnson 70 74, Mark Johnson 72 72, Dale Douglass 73 71

145 J.C Snead 73 72, Ray Floyd 73 72, Walter Hall 71 74, Des Smyth (Irl) 71 74

146 Leonard Thompson 74 72, Charles Coody 71 75, Jim Ahern 73 73

147 Mike Donald 74 73, Joe Clark 74 73, Dave Stockton 73 74, Jim Dent 76 71

148 Mike Reid 72 76, Lanny Wadkins 73 75, Don Reese 77 71

151 Deane Beman 76 75, Terry Dill 74 77

152 Dick Mast 78 74, Larry Ziegler 76 76

153 Lee Trevino 80 73

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