Nissan Open
Valencia Country Club
Valencia, California
26th February - 1st March 1998

Par 72 Prize Money $2.1 million

Second Round Report

Second Round Scores
First Round Report
First Round Scores

Mayfair hangs on to a slender lead

Valencia, California 27th February 1998 - Billy Mayfair likes where he is, ahead midway through the Nissan Open, but he can almost hear footsteps behind him.

Mayfair rode a roller coaster round right back to where he began the day, 6-under-par and one shot in front. After five bogeys and five birdies, he finished the second round today with a par 71.

Payne Stewart, with a 67, and Tommy Armour III, with a 68, moved into a tie for second. Also at 5-under was Stephen Ames, who was alone in second after the opening round and matched par today.

"I would rather be one shot ahead than 10 shots back," said Mayfair, who hasn't won since 1995. "But this (being the frontrunner) definitely wears me out."

Asked if he was thinking about the players just behind him, Mayfair said: "There's one man we always look back over our shoulders at. But I'm going to go out and try to play as well as Billy Mayfair can play for the next two days, and if it's not good enough, that's OK."

The "one man" he was alluding to is Tiger Woods, who started the tournament with a 68, but had a second-round 73 to slip five shots off the pace.

On a windy day that often made club selection a guessing game, Mayfair went to 9-under on two occasions but gave it back by bogeying three of his final four holes.

"When I got up this morning, I saw that the wind was blowing and I thought that if I could keep it close to par, that would give me a chance for this weekend," he said.

Rick Fehr, with a 67, and Scott Hoch, with a 71, were just two shots behind Mayfair, and a total of 23 players were within five shots.

Defending champion Nick Faldo, who shot a 73 the first day, had a 70 to go to 1-over, seven shots behind.

Fred Couples, who had a 73, and Phil Mickelson, who ballooned to 76, also were at 1-over through 36 holes at Valencia Country Club.

Mayfair won twice and finished second to Greg Norman on the money list in 1995 and has been in a slump ever since. He was coasting along at 9-under when he hooked his drive into a bunker on his 15th hole of the day, No. 6, and wound up with a bogey.

He three-putted from 25 feet for another bogey on the next hole. After a par on No. 8, he missed the ninth green and went into the shaggy rough, then finally missed an 8-foot putt that would have saved par.

"I gave three (shots) up coming in and I'm not too happy about that, but I am pleased with a one-shot lead going into the weekend," he said.

Stewart, who also hasn't won since 1995, had six birdies and two bogeys to move up to second.

"I really feel like a lot of things I'm doing this year are going to pay off," Stewart said. "I'm enjoying going out and playing."

Armour, whose only victory came in 1990, had a steadier round, bogeying just one hole and making four birdies.

David Duval, who won last week's Tucson Chrysler Classic, is not entered.

The par-72 Valencia Country Club course measures 6,977 yards.

First prize is $378,000.