Trio top leaderboard at halfway stage - Wyndham Championship 2007

John Huston, who almost missed his first round tee time at Forest Oaks, fired his second straight six-under-par 66 Friday to take a share of the lead at the Wyndham Championship.

The 46-year-old American was delayed because of a traffic accident on Thursday and had just seven minutes from the time he got to the course before he teed off in the opening round.

"I had already called the tournament office and told them I didn't think I was going to make it," Huston said.

Huston joins Jeff Overton (67) and Steve Marino (67) at the top of the leaderboard at 12-under 132.

They lead five others, including Carl Pettersson, by one stroke on a tightly bunched leaderboard. Only six strokes separate the 86 players who made the cut.

Huston has not had a top-35 finish this year, but he showed signs of life with six birdies in the final 10 holes on Friday.

"I have actually putted pretty decent for a couple of days," he said.

Overton, a 24-year-old second-year PGA Tour member from Indiana, was inspired watching Tiger Woods win last week'sPGA Championship.

He has also played regularly on the Nationwide Tour, not to mention spending the odd week on the couch, which is where he was during the PGA.

"It really helped watching Tiger last week," he said. "Sitting home on the couch, not getting a chance to play in the PGA, I want to be there and try to be in his shoes just once.

"He's so tenacious, it's like he uses his mind more than anybody, and puts extra adrenaline in his veins whenever he hits it. I want to practise and dedicate (my) life the way he does."

Marino made it a three-way tie for the lead, despite a rushed preparation for his round. He was enjoying lunch when he realized he had left his yardage book in his hotel room, so he had to go back and get it.

"I felt pretty good right off the bat," he said. "I'm swinging at the ball really well and putting well, so hopefully I can maintain that throughout the weekend. I'm very confident."

Meanwhile, Pettersson produced a round of 67 in what passes for his hometown event. Though a Swedish national, he lived in Greensboro for two years as a teenager, when his father was posted here on a job transfer.

And though his father has since returned to Sweden, Pettersson remained in North Carolina, finally settling in Raleigh.

"This is my home tournament, so it's a special feeling and I'm also on the board of the tournament," he said. "I got off to a good start today and had a little sluggish middle section, and really got going on my back nine."