Armour fires 62, leads Texas Open

SAN ANTONIO -- Tommy Armour III capped a 62 with a birdie on the 18th hole Friday and held a one-stroke lead over Dan Forsman, who hit three tee shots on his final hole, after the second round of the Texas Open.

Armour's 14-under 126 on the La Cantera Golf Club course was the lowest two-round score on the PGA Tour this year.

"You know, what can you say? It's going where I'm aiming," said Armour, whose best finish this year was a tie for 11 in this month's Bell Canadian Open. "The course is in great shape, the greens are perfect. ... It's a birdiefest."

Forsman had a 63 Friday and was one shot in front of Tim Clark (63). K.J. Choi (62), Tom Lehman (63), Hal Sutton (63), Paul Goydos (64) and Charles Howell (64) were all at 129.

Forsman, who started the day on the back nine, was tied with Armour at 14 under after 17 holes when his round nearly imploded on the 380-yard, par-4 9th.

He hit his drive far to the left, where it landed among the cactus and mesquite trees.

Thinking the ball was out of bounds, he hit a provisional that landed in the fairway. But it turned out the first drive was still in bounds but unplayable, so under tour rules he had to return to the tee and hit yet again.

His third drive on the hole also went left and ended up half-buried 141 yards out.

"I could only see the top portion of the ball, so it was a really difficult lie," Forsman said. "I was looking at 7 (on the hole)."

His fortunes improved when he knocked his next shot within 17 feet, and then one-putted for a bogey.

"I'm a little disappointed, but it is miraculous what happened on the last hole, making a bogey," Forsman said.

Bob Tway, a co-leader after the first round, shot a 69 Friday to join defending champion Loren Roberts (66) and Cameron Beckman (67) at 130.

Heath Slocum, who shared the first-round lead with Tway, shot a 70 and was in a group of six at 131.

Champions Tour

CONOVER, N.C. -- Larry Nelson had a rather mundane year on the Champions Tour until this month.

Nelson, who has a win and a third-place finish so far in September, shot an 8-under 64 in the opening round of the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn on Friday to share the lead with Bruce Fleisher.

Nelson could have taken the outright lead on the 18th hole, but he missed a 4-foot birdie putt.

"I wanted to shoot 63 very badly," said Nelson, who still had his best first round this season.

Bob Gilder was one shot back of the co-leaders, while Craig Stadler was in a group of three players two behind.

Scores were low at the new venue with 43 golfers under par.

"This course would be playing much different if the greens weren't so soft," said Gilder, who hit all 14 fairways and needed just 26 putts for his 65.

LPGA

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Beth Daniel shot a 10-under 62 to take a four-stroke lead after the first round of the LPGA Safeway Classic and tie the course record set by defending champion Annika Sorenstam.

Daniel, who earlier this year became the oldest player to win on the LPGA Tour, birdied seven of the last nine holes at the 6,327-yard Columbia Edgewater Country Club course.

Grace Park and Cristie Kerr were tied for second at 66, while Sorenstam, who played in the same threesome as Daniel, was another stroke back.

European PGA Tour

ST ANDREWS, Scotland -- Darren Clarke, Peter Lawrie and David Howell had 4-under 68s and shared the Dunhill Links lead after two rounds of the Dunhill Links Championship.

Clarke carded his score on The Old Course at St Andrews. Howell and Lawrie played Kingsbarns. Carnoustie is the third course being used. The three were at 9 under after 36 holes.

One shot behind were Gary Murphy, former British Open winner Paul Lawrie, Michael Campbell and Henrik Bjornstad.

-- From wire reports