PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Brandt Snedeker goes into the weekend at Pebble Beach with another chance to win, this time without golf’s biggest stars in his way.
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Brandt Snedeker goes into the weekend at Pebble Beach with another chance to win, this time without golf’s biggest stars in his way.
Snedeker played bogey-free at tough Spyglass Hill on Friday for a 4-under 68, giving him a share of the lead with Ted Potter Jr. in the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Potter three-putted his final hole at Monterey Peninsula for a 67.
Hunter Mahan was among those one shot behind. With one more round before everyone has played all three courses in the rotation, the leaderboard was a big traffic jam. Three dozen players were within five shots of the lead.
Snedeker, who was at 8-under 134, felt he was at an advantage because he goes to Pebble Beach for the final two rounds.
And there’s one other edge for his psyche — Tiger Woods isn’t playing, and defending champion Phil Mickelson is six shots behind.
Snedeker has played so well this year that he is leading the FedEx Cup standings without having won. He was runner-up the last two weeks — four shots behind Woods at Torrey Pines, and then four shots behind Mickelson in the Phoenix Open.
Mickelson, going after a record-tying fifth win in the event, was easing his way into contention until he made three bogeys in a four-hole stretch along the ocean at Spyglass Hill for a 71.
Langer, Pernice tied
for lead at Champions Tour
BOCA RATON, Fla. — Bernhard Langer is a Hall of Famer who has won the Champions Tour money title four of the last five years. Tom Pernice Jr. is a career journeyman who at 53 tried to reach the PGA Tour through Q-school last year.
They have different pedigrees, but they ended in the same place Friday — tied for the first-round lead of the Allianz Championship at Broken Sound after 6-under 66s.
Langer, who holed out a bunker shot to win here in a playoff in 2010, birdied three of the last four holes.
Pernice was even through eight holes, but played the next six holes in six-under, including an eagle at No. 5 when he holed a pitching wedge from 128 yards, to charge into contention.
Defending champion Corey Pavin, Roger Chapman, Fred Funk, Scott Simpson and two players making their Champions Tour debuts – Rocco Mediate and Bart Bryant – are a shot back after 67s.
Fisher Jr. joins Sterne
in lead in Johannesburg
JOHANNESBURG — Trevor Fisher Jr. shot a 9-under 62 and Richard Sterne had a 65 Friday to share the lead after the second round of the Joburg Open.