David Duval and
Fred Couples shot a 10-under-par 62 to take a six-shot lead after today's second
round of the Franklin Templeton Shark Shootout.
The second round featured a best-ball format for the 12-team field. Duval and
Couples nearly matched their 61 from Friday's alternate shot format for a two-day
total of 123, 21-under par.
"Today
we played almost the same as yesterday," Couples said. "We kept momentum and I
like our chances tomorrow."
Duval recorded six birdies in the round as the team looks to capture the $350,000
first prize in the $1.5 million dollar event.
"This
is as well as I've played since the U.S. Open," Duval said. "I haven't putted
well since June or July. It's always nice to go out and play good golf."
Scott McCarron and Scott
Hoch finished with a 9-under-par 63 and fell six shots behind going into Sunday's
final round.
"We
ham and egged it pretty good today," Hoch said. "It was a beautiful day and Scott
and I are having a lot of fun.
But tomorrow's scramble format is the hardest to make up shots," Hoch added. "Only
if someone calls and cancels their (Couples and Duval) wake-up calls would we'd
have a chance. They are the premier group."
Couples and Duval have recorded 21 birdies through 36 holes without a bogey. Couples
is looking for his third Shark Shootout win.
He teamed with Raymond Floyd in 1990 for his first win and won again in 1994 with
Brad Faxon. Duval is looking for his first win at Sherwood Country Club. Their
string of six birdies from the 9th hole through the 14th sparked their round.
Duval started it with a
12-foot birdie at the 9th hole and Couples wedged it to within four feet at the
14th and holed the birdie putt. Andrew Magee and Jay Haas, and Peter Jacobsen
and John Cook shot 8-under par 64's that left them at 130, 14-under par over the
par 72, 7,025 yard Sherwood CC course.
Jeff Sluman chipped in for an eagle three at the par 5, 16th hole to record the
only eagle today. Sluman and teammate Brad Faxon's 64 left them at 131, eight
shots off the lead.
Defending-champion and tournament host Greg Norman and partner Steve Elkington
finished with a 64 for an 11-under par 133. Olin Browne and Carlos Franco's 8-under
round pulled them into a tie for seventh with Chip Beck and John Daly. Beck and
Daly shot a 7-under 65.
Steve Pate and Corey Pavin's 6-under 66 moved them to 7-under and 14 shots from
the lead.
Duffy
Waldorf and Glenn Day's 69 gave them a 5-under 139.
Craig Stadler and Tom Kite finished with a 69, 1-under for the Shootout.
Ben Crenshaw and Bruce
Lietzke's 2-under 70 left them in last place, 1-over for the event.
McCarron and Hoch birdied the 10th through 14th holes to keep pace with Couples
and Duval but their bogey at the par-four 18th cost them a chance to gain ground.
Sunday's round will be
the final appearance of the Shark Shootout at Sherwood CC. The year 2000 will
see the event moved to Doral, Florida after an 11-year run at Sherwood.
