Kelly Gibson shot a four-under-par 68 on Friday
and owns a two-shot lead at 11-under par after two rounds of the Nike Oregon Classic.
Jim Johnson is alone in second place at nine-under.
Gibson, who finished seventh in last week's Boise Open, started the day with a
three-shot lead. He birdied three of the last five holes on Friday.
"I've never been in a position like this," said Gibson,
who never won in seven years on the PGA Tour. "I like my position that's for sure.
I think one more really deep round might lock it up for me."
Gibson is vying for a chance to regain his PGA Tour card. He is 23rd on the Nike
money list, and the top-15 qualify for next year's PGA Tour.
Johnson was able to trim Gibson's lead by one shot with the day's best round --
a seven-under 65. He hit only 6-of-14 fairways, but managed to play bogey-free
golf.
"I didn't drive it very well," said
Johnson, who is 40th on the money list this year. "But I managed to hit some good
recovery shots and I really didn't miss any putts."
Mathew Goggin, who is second on the Nike Tour money list, is tied for third at
five-under, along with Marco Dawson and Craig Perks. Dawson is ninth on the money
list and is the only player among the top-10 without a victory.
