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KAPALUA, Hawaii: Former Masters champion Mike Weir fired a six-under
67 to take a one-shot lead after the second round of the
$5.5-million PGA Mercedes-Benz Championship.
The 37-year-old Canadian posted a bogey-free
round Friday, moving to eight under 138 after 36 holes.
“It was easier out there with the wind not as
strong,” Weir said. “I’m pretty happy. Things are going good
so far for it being the first tournament of the season.”
Weir’s countryman Stephen Ames is in second
one stroke back at seven under after shooting a 67 on the Plantation
Course at Kapalua. American Jonathan Byrd is also at seven-under
heading into the third round.
“I guess the winters are pretty bad in
Canada,” Weir said. “There are more Canadians down here than
normal. We should have a pretty good day tomorrow.”
Weir carded five birdies and three bogeys for an
opening 71 on Thursday on the course which is the lone par-73 layout
on the PGA Tour.
Ames registered seven birdies and a bogey, while
Byrd carded a 69 that included five birdies and a bogey.
The winner of the 2003 Masters, Weir played the
front nine in four-under, including an eagle at the par-five ninth.
He seized the lead with two birdies on the back nine at Nos. 15 and
18.
“The back nine was uneventful until 15,”
Weir said. “I hit two shots in front of the green. I pitched it up
to about a foot.
“I made a nice up-and-down on 16 and 17 from
the front of the greens, shortish putts, maybe about a four-footer
and a three-footer on 16 and 17.
And then 18, rolled in a nice putt from probably
15 feet or so, 18 feet, so a good way to finish.”
Ames has things going pretty good as well,
especially considering he got into this winners-only event with a
win at the final tournament on the 2007 PGA Tour schedule — the
Children’s Miracle Network Classic.
Ames said he has done surprisingly little to
prepare for this event.
“No [practice rounds]. This is a family
vacation. It’s still a family vacation. Golf is getting in the
way,” he joked.
He birdied No. 2 and 4 before a bogey at the
seventh. Ames bounced back from his lone miscue of the round with
consecutive birdies to close out the front nine.
A set of birdies at 14 and 15 and another at 18
put Ames right in contention as he hopes to start the new season
just as he ended the last one.
“There are still some things I have to work on
for sure, but I think overall I’m happy with the way I’m hitting
it,” Ames said.
-- AFP
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