| Grand
Blanc, Michigan, 7th August, 1998 -
Brandel Chamblee came to Michigan because he figured it was too hot to hang around
home in Arizona. It might be the best move he's ever made. Chamblee,
seeking his first win on the PGA Tour, used an eagle on the seventh hole -- his
16th hole -- today to shoot a 4-under-par 68 that left him at 11-under 133 and
a stroke ahead of rookie Kent Jones, who shot 67. Dudley
Hart (69) and Phil Blackmar (68) were at 135. Defending champion Vijay Singh (70)
was tied with Steve Stricker (67) at 136. Tiger
Woods, starting the day at 1-under 71, eagled No. 1 -- his 10th hole -- birdied
the third and seemed to be making a run after getting to 7-under. But Woods, using
Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club as a tune-up for the PGA Championship next
week at Redmond, Wash., couldn't keep it going. He
was up and down with two bogeys and a birdie over his final six holes, shooting
67 for 138. The
start of each round has been delayed 30 minutes because of overnight thunderstorms
that left the course almost flooded in some areas. Workers used squeegees to push
water off the greens early today, but some standing water remained in spots around
the 7,105-yard course. Because
of the softened conditions, players were allowed to lift, clean and replace shots
in the fairways. Usually that would guarantee massive red numbers on this course
on which the tournament record is 26-under. But
moist conditions work the other way, too. Approach shots tend to spin back more
than usual on wet greens, and that left many players farther from pins than they
expected to be. As a result, the birdie barrage was fairly mild. Chamblee,
who shared the first-round lead with J.L. Lewis, used a driver and 3-wood to get
within 82 yards of the pin at the par-5 seventh, a 584-yard hole. "I
had 82 yards to the pin, which was perfect because I hit my 60-degree wedge 84
yards," said Chamblee, who has failed to make a penny in three previous tries
at Warwick Hills. "I figured I'd hit it two yards past the hole and back
it up. That's exactly what it did, and it spun right back into the hole. "It
was pretty exciting, actually." Jones,
who has missed the cut in three of his last four tournaments, rolled in birdie
putts of 20 and 30 feet. He also hit a wedge to within 18 inches of the cup, resulting
in birdie at the par-5 16th. "It's
been a tough season," Jones said. "There have been a lot of frustrations
the last couple of months. It's been a learning experience, this being my first
year." Hart
hasn't made a bogey through two rounds, but his three birdies in the second round
were only half as many as he made in the first round. "It's
real wet," said Hart, who could use a hefty check to pay for the wedding
gifts he gave his bride, Suzanne, two weeks ago. "There's a lot more standing
water than yesterday. "The
greens are very soft, but they are still rolling well. I'm surprised how good
they are." Lewis,
starting on No. 10, bogeyed three of the last four holes on the homeward nine
and struggled to a 4-over 76 for 141. Justin
Leonard and John Huston both had 70s for 143, the same as Brian Watts (72). All
three missed the cut by one stroke. Tevor Dodds (74) and Brad Faxon (72) also
missed the cut at 145. DIVOTS:
In 1967, Julius Boros shot 72-72 in the first two rounds on his way to winning
the Buick Open. This year his son, Guy, had identical scores and missed the cut
by two strokes. ... First-round co-leader J.L. Lewis is from Texas, where he once
was the pro at the nine-hole course owned by country singer Willie Nelson. The
initials, by the way, stand for John Lee. ... Skip Kendall had 18 pars in the
second round for 2-under 142. ... Frank Lickliter, who opened with a 73, was disqualified
for turning in an incorrect card after the second round. | 
