Brent Geiberger and Pete Jordan, good friends in search of their first PGA Tour victory, were tied today at 11-under-par for the second-round lead of the Greater Hartford Open.

Gieberger started the day three strokes off the lead and shot a 63, the low round of the day and his lowest this year on tour.

Jordan began the day at 6-under, one stroke out of the lead, and was even par at the turn. He birdied five of the last nine holes to finish with a 65, hitting 13 of 14 fairways at the TPC at River Highlands.

"I just feel like I could control my golf ball really good right now," Jordan said. "I'm driving it pretty straight. It feels like I could play anywhere right now."

Jordan had his best finish of the year -- fifth -- in last week's John Deere Classic.

Gieberger, whose father Al was the first to shoot 59 on tour, had to scramble over his final two holes to preserve the 63. He missed the green on the par-3 No. 8 hole and then left his chip shot short. But he salvaged par by making a 20-foot putt.

Another challenge awaited on his finishing hole, the dogleg right No. 9. He drove into the right bunker and landed his approach short and left of the green. Facing a severe ridge at the green's edge, Geiberger kept his wedge in the bag, instead using the putter to get to about 3 feet and made par.

"It would have taken a pretty good touch to stop it anywhere around the hole. I just know my strength and I'd rather putt it than flop it up there," said Gieberger, who is coming off a third-place finish in the Western Open.

One group later, Mark O'Meara had nearly the same lie on No. 9. He chipped in for birdie and a 64. At 10-under, he was alone in third. O'Meara, like Gieberger, started off Friday three strokes off the pace and had seven birdies.

"I had a pretty good lie. I felt ... I've got to chip this because I've got to take the bank out of play," O'Meara said.

O'Meara, last year's British Open and Masters champ, said he expects to scale back his appearances in two years to spend more time with his family.

"I've done well financially. My life for the past 19 years is traveling around the world ... in and out of hotel rooms, away from my family," said the 42-year-old father of two. "When I go home it's such a unique experience, as you get older it's tougher and tougher to leave home."

Justin Leonard shot a 67 and was at 9-under with Kirk Triplett and Skip Kendall, one of four first-round leaders.

Mike Springer, Kevin Sutherland and Tom Scherrer, the other first-round leaders slipped back into the pack but made the cut. David Duval, the PGA Tour's earnings leader, shot a 66 to go 6-under.

Seventy-three golfers made the cut, which was at 1-under 139. Among those making an early exit were Lee Janzen, Jeff Maggert and former GHO champs Peter Jacobsen, Wayne Levi, Lanny Wadkins, Billy Ray Brown and Phil Blackmar.

AP