| Fort
Worth Texas, 22nd May 1998
- PGA rookie Harrison Frazar is getting the breaks usually enjoyed by tour
veterans. The former
University of Texas All-America continued his surprising run Friday, shrugging
off a couple of bad swings to cling to a two-shot lead at the halfway point of
the MasterCard Colonial. "My
swing felt a little jerky and a little funny," the Dallas native said after
a 3-under-par 67 that hardly resembled the masterpiece of his opening 64. But
his 36-hole total of 131 was nine under par for two trips around the 7,010-yard
Colonial Country Club course and propelled him into the weekend with the lead
over Mark Calcavecchia, Kenny Perry and Jim Furyk. "I
hit a couple of bad shots but got some good breaks," said Frazar, 26, who
emerged from obscurity last week when he finished in a tie for second at the GTE
Byron Nelson Classic. "I
guess that's the measure of when things are going your way, when you're not feeling
good and still shoot 67." He
said his scheme Friday was simply to "put it on the steer mode ... keep it
in play ... and not hurt myself." And
while admittedly a "little shaky," he succeeded. So
what's his weekend game plan? "I
think it all depends on what happens with the weather out there," Frazar
said. "If the wind blows it can get awful rough on this golf course. If it
doesn't, I'm going to have to go shoot eight under par this weekend to win the
tournament." Calcavecchia
and Perry both had 5-under 65s after opening 68s while Furyk posted a 67 after
claiming a share of second place Thursday with a 66. Another
stroke back at 134 was a group headed by Tom Watson and John Cook, last
week's Nelson champion. Both posted 66s Friday and shared fifth place with Jeff Sluman
(67-67), Steve Flesch (68-66) and Phil Blackmar (66-68). Calcavecchia,
seeking a second victory this year, hammered "Hogan's Alley" for three
quick birdies, holed a 95-yard approach shot for an eagle 2 at No. 7 and flirted
with an easy birdie at No. 8 before surrendering a shot with a three-putt bogey
at No. 9. "If
I start making some putts I'm going to be dangerous," he said with a smile,
noting that he two-putted every green on the back side until drilling a 25-footer
for a birdie at 18. The
shot of the day was Calcavecchia's wedge to the 420-yard 7th, which was no fluke.
"I knew
it was a good shot," he said. "It landed about six feet short and looked
like it rolled in the middle of the hole. I saw it all the way." A
winner at the Honda Classic in Florida two months ago, Calcavecchia said he "figured
it was time to get myself going again" and Colonial was the logical place
to do it. "It's
a classic old course and I'm a classic old course fan," he said of the Trinity
River layout nicknamed Hogan's Alley in honor of five-time champion Ben Hogan,
who died last year. Perry,
who found the fast track and the Texas weather to his liking, birdied the first
two holes but rode a 4-under 31 on the back side into a share of second. "The
golf course is in excellent shape," he said. "It's playing very firm,
very fast, but the greens are soft because of the heat and humidity." He
said his game has heated up with the temperatures. "I'm
a hot weather player," he explained. "Being from Kentucky, it's kind
of my climate, kind of what I'm used to playing in ... and I've been knocking
at the door the last couple of weeks." Furyk,
meanwhile, dropped four 8-foot birdie putts, closed the round with a 3-footer
for birdie at 18 and said he liked his title chances. "Anytime
you are two back with the weekend to go, you're in good position," he said
Defending Colonial
champion David Frost made the cut of 141 with 68-69. Fred Couples and
Nick Faldo sneaked in at 72-69 while two-time winner Ben Crenshaw and
Phil Mickelson were among the name players to miss the cut. | 
