Villegas leads Deutsche Bank; Woods nine back

Norton, MA (Sports Network) - Camilo Villegas fired an eight-under-par 63 on Friday to take the first-round lead of the Deutsche Bank Championship, the second FedEx Cup playoff event.
Villegas' 63 was his lowest round on the PGA Tour by one and actually took some of the spotlight away from the most prominent threesome to play together in the first rounds in recent history.
Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh were grouped together on Friday and will be again on Saturday. The groups are put together based on their standings in the FedEx Cup Playoff race with these three ranking four through six.
Woods struggled to a one-over 72, Singh, who missed the cut last week, only managed a 74, while Mickelson broke par with a 70.
Defending champion Woods, participating in his first FedEx Playoff event after skipping The Barclays last week, could not get anything going with his putter on Friday.
He missed several birdie tries inside 10 feet, but holed most of the tricky par putts. Woods bogeyed the par-five second, but his round came undone at the driveable, par-four fourth.
Woods drove into a bunker and could not get out with his second shot. The ball was against the lip and as hard as he swung, Woods' ball went backwards into the trap. He left with a double-bogey six, but made up the strokes with back- to-back birdies at six and seven.
Woods drove into a bunker at 18 and roped a fairway-wood cleanly over the green at the par-five hole. He chipped to seven feet, but like most of the round, missed the shortish birdie chance.
"I putted well for par, but anything beyond that was not very good," said Woods, who won his last two starts at the WGC event and PGA Championship. "It's just one day. That's the way it is. Welcome to golf."
Mickelson birdied two and holed out for an eagle from the same bunker that gave Woods fits at four. Things fell apart for Mickelson at the ninth thanks to an errant drive. He made triple-bogey to fall back to even-par for the championship.
"I don't know what to say. It was just a terrible swing," admitted Mickelson. "It was a mental, sloppy shot. I set up for a draw and came out and blocked it."
Mickelson ran home a 12-foot birdie putt at the 14th and could have gotten to two-under, but missed a five-footer at the last.
Singh recorded three birdies, two bogeys and two double-bogeys for his 74.
Mike Weir, recently named to the International Presidents Cup team, and Ryan Moore are tied for second place at minus-six.
Heath Slocum, Brett Wetterich, Fredrik Jacobson, Steve Elkington and Henrik Stenson are knotted in fourth place at five-under 66.
The field is looking up at Villegas, who lost a playoff this year at the Honda Classic.
Villegas got off to a great start on Friday. He birdied the third, fourth, sixth and seventh holes. He got to five-under with a birdie at the par-four 12th, then had a chance to tie for the lead, but missed a 13-footer at the 13th.
Villegas drained a 25-foot birdie chance at the 14th to join Weir and Moore in the lead. The Colombian had another great look at birdie at the 16th, but missed again.
The close of his round vaulted him ahead of the pair he was tied with atop the leaderboard.
At the 17th, Villegas rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt to move into sole possession of first. Villegas hit a great second shot to 18 feet at the par- five closing hole at the TPC of Boston. He missed on the high side, but tapped in for birdie and his lowest round on the PGA Tour.
"It was a great round today," said Villegas. "I've been working hard all year. Obviously today I made some great putts. I didn't make mistakes out there. I kept the ball in play and hit a bunch of greens."
Villegas has only two other top 10s beside his playoff loss at the Honda. He posted four top 10s in his rookie season of 2006, but does not consider this campaign a lost cause.
"It's been a great year," said Villegas. "It's been a great-learning experience year. I learned I can not play every week, that I have to rest even though I'm 25 years old. I've been feeling great all year. If you're feeling good, good things are going to happen."
Steve Stricker, last week's winner at The Barclays and the leader of the FedEx Cup Playoffs points race, shot a four-under 67 on Friday. He is tied for ninth with John Senden, Trevor Immelman, Charlie Wi, Sergio Garcia, Aaron Baddeley, Craig Kanada and Rich Beem, who needs to finish second or better to get into next week's BMW Championship.

Warren leads by one at Gleneagles

Perthshire, Scotland (Sports Network) - Scotland's Marc Warren opened with an eight-under-par 65 Thursday to take a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.
Warren, whose lone win came last year at the Scandinavian Masters, has struggled of late. He has missed the cut in six of his last eight starts and owns just two top-10s all season.
"The last few months have been frustrating because I haven't been getting the results that I want," said Warren. "But over the last couple of weeks I have noticed a couple of things and (my coach) Bob Torrance has been working hard with me on them this week to put it right and today was a glimpse of that."
Nicolas Colsaerts is one stroke behind Warren at minus-seven. Jeev Milkha Singh was joined in third place by Miles Tunnicliff at six-under-par 67 on the par-73 PGA Centenary Course at The Gleneagles Hotel.
Warren started his round on the 10th tee and birdied his opening hole. He came back with birdies on 12 and 14 to get to three-under.
The Scotsman made another birdie at the par-three 17th. Around the turn, he kept rolling.
Warren birdied the first and second to climb to six-under. A birdie on the par-three fourth gave him the lead at seven-under. He made a clutch 15-foot par-saving putt on the eighth, his 17th, to remain tied for the lead as Colsaerts had joined him at minus-seven.
"The only time I had a bit of trouble was on the eighth hole, my 17th, where I hit a good enough tee shot, but it just went through the fairway," said the 26-year-old Warren. "I probably had too much club off the tee and probably should have hit three-wood because the wind was helping a bit more than we thought off the tee. But I managed to scramble a four."
At the ninth, Warren missed the green on the short side, but hit a stellar chip shot to nine feet. He rolled that putt in for birdie and the outright lead.
"It is obviously a very solid start and I'm pleased to have no bogeys on my card and eight birdies," Warren stated. "It was a very solid round from tee to green and on the greens as well."
Colsaerts, who started two groups ahead of Warren, also birdied the 10th to start his round. He parred the next five before converting an eagle chance at the par-five 16th.
He parred the next two before dropping in back-to-back birdie putts from the first to get to five-under.
Colsaerts drove the 419-yard, par-four eighth and drained the 10-foot eagle putt to jump into a share of the lead at seven-under. He ended one back as he parred the last.
"I will just keep on doing my thing," Colsaerts said. "I know where to go here and where not to go so I just need to keep it in play and hope. I won't get too many more starts this season so I suppose it is make or break. There is no pressure yet."
Joost Luiten, who finished second last week, carded a five-under-par 68. He was joined in a share of fifth place by Phillip Archer, Mark Pilkington, Simon Wakefield, James Hepworth, Zane Scotland, Shiv Kapur and Phillip Price.
Eight-time Order of Merit champion Colin Montgomerie and former British Open winner Paul Lawrie are among 13 players tied for 13th at minus-four.

Choi cruises to Barclays lead

Harrison, NY (Sports Network) - K.J. Choi, a two-time winner this season, posted a five-under 66 on Friday to move into the lead after the second round of the first event in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, The Barclays.
Choi, who won the events sponsored by Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in 2007, finished two rounds at 12-under-par 130 and is two shots clear at Westchester Country Club.
Rich Beem, the 2002 PGA Champion who is only ranked 134th on the FedEx Cup list, shot a three-under 68 and is alone in second place at minus-10. He will need a big week just to make it into the Deutsche Bank Championship next week since the field will be trimmed to the top 120 on the FedEx Cup list.
"I know that unless I play well, finish well this week, I'm going home," acknowledged Beem. "No offense to my wife or kids or anything, but when you're playing well, you want to stay on the road and I want to stay on the road because I'm playing well."
This is the first of four events in the new FedEx Cup Playoffs. Six of the 144 players who qualified through the regular season points race weren't playing this week, including No. 1 Tiger Woods. Two others withdrew Thursday and Tripp Isenhour pulled out on Friday.
Because the points list was reset for the playoffs -- with all 144 players seeded according to their finish in the regular season -- each golfer was given a mathematical chance to win the $10 million top prize as the points leader after the Tour Championship in three weeks.
Overnight leader Rory Sabbatini only managed an even-par 71 on Friday, but is tied for third place with Steve Stricker (67) and 2006 U.S. Open winner Geoff Ogilvy (66). The group came in at minus-eight.
Phil Mickelson, fourth on the list, shot a one-under 70 and is tied for 13th place at minus-five.
"I needed to go a little bit lower but maybe a good round tomorrow will give me a chance on Sunday," said Mickelson. "That's the goal, just to get in position for Sunday."
He fared better than Vijay Singh. The No. 2 player in the playoff race shot an even-par 71 and missed the cut at four-over-par 146.
That opens the door for Choi to move up the FedEx Cup list.
Choi began his second round on the back nine and wasted little time in breaking into red figures. He hammered a drive down the fairway at 10, then wedged his approach to a foot. Choi tapped in for birdie, then parred his next eight holes on his first nine.
At the par-three opening hole, Choi came up short of the putting surface with a six-iron. No matter, as the fifth-ranked player on the FedEx Cup points list chipped in for birdie.
Choi continued his strong play early on his second nine. He played a seven- iron to four feet to set up birdie and reach 10-under par for the championship.
At the short, par-four seventh, Choi once again hit his drive down the fairway. He played a sand-wedge right at the hole, then watched as the ball went in for an eagle.
Things got worse for Choi after the eagle at seven. His approach at the par- four eighth landed in a greenside bunker and the best he could muster was 20 feet for par. Choi two-putted for bogey, but a two-putt birdie from 60 feet got him in at minus-12.
"I'm very happy to have played the way I did this week, the past two days," said Choi. "I figured that two-under every day would be a good score for the tournament. But now that I am at 12-under, I'm very excited being in the position that I am right now."
As the first week of the Playoffs unfold, no one personified some of the confusion surrounding it more than Choi. At the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, Choi stated that if he won the FedEx Cup, he would donate the $10 million first-place prize to charity.
The only problem is that the money is deferred to a player's retirement fund, so Choi would have to wait several years to donate.
"After that press conference when I had said that, my friend, Charlie Wi, called me and told me about it," said Choi. "I didn't really know about the deferred payment back then when I said it. But, you know, even if I did know, my plan would not have changed."
Ernie Els (71), Kenny Perry (67), Anthony Kim (68), Sergio Garcia (67), Retief Goosen (68), Adam Scott (69) and Bill Haas (68) are knotted in sixth place at six-under 136.
The 36-hole cut fell at even-par 142 and Singh was not the only high-profile player to miss the weekend.
U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera (143), Luke Donald (143), David Toms (144), last week's Wyndham Championship winner Brandt Snedeker (145) and Charles Howell III (150) all missed the cut.

Snedeker earns first PGA Tour win

Greensboro, NC (Sports Network) - Brandt Snedeker fired a nine-under 63 on Sunday to come from behind and win his first PGA Tour title at the Wyndham Championship.
He finished the shootout at 22-under-par 266 and won by two over three other players at Forest Oaks Country Club.
In addition to the first PGA Tour victory and the perks that come with that, Snedeker moved up to ninth in the FedEx Cup standings. With this being the final event before the playoffs start next week at the Barclays, Snedeker is assured to play all four events, culminating in the Tour Championship.
"It's just unbelievable," said Snedeker, who pocketed $900,000 for the win. "I'm getting goose bumps thinking about everything that comes with it. Thank God I didn't think about that today because I probably would not have won."
Overnight-leader Jeff Overton only managed a two-under 70 on Sunday. He tied for second place with Billy Mayfair and Tim Petrovic, both of whom shot 67s in the final round. The group came in at minus-20.
Carl Pettersson posted a four-under 68 and took fifth at 19-under-par 269. Greg Kraft carded a six-under 66 and came in sixth at minus-18.
Sunday's final round quickly became a birdie-fest and Snedeker was on board early. He birdied the first two holes, then rattled off four in a five-hole span to close his front nine.
He bogeyed the par-three 12th to momentarily fall down the leaderboard. Snedeker narrowly missed an eagle putt at 13, but tapped in for a birdie. He sank a seven-foot birdie putt at the 14th, which tied him for the lead at 20- under par with Petrovic, who recorded six birdies and a bogey through his first 15 holes.
Snedeker birdied the par-five 15th to take the outright lead, but Petrovic hit a sensational four-iron to six feet to set up birdie at 16. The two were tied again, but Snedeker broke out thanks to a 33-foot birdie putt at the 17th.
He made a routine par at 18 and waited as Petrovic needed a birdie at the last to force a playoff.
The chances of that happening disappeared quickly. Petrovic drove well into the left trees and had to pitch back to the fairway with his second. He did not hole out his third, and in fact made bogey to miss out by two.
Mayfair gave it a go thanks to two late birdies. He needed to hole out his second shot at the 18th to force the extra session, but drove into a bunker and hit his approach to 12 feet.
That guaranteed the title for Snedeker.
His first PGA Tour win might have cemented Rookie of the Year honors for the 26 year old. Snedeker took third in his third event of the year at the Buick Invitational and has three top 10s since mid-June.
"I still don't really believe it right now," said Snedeker, a two-time winner last year on the Nationwide Tour. "I'm trying to realize what just happened. It's a great day."
Shigeki Maruyama had a good day on Sunday. He shot a three-under 69 to move into a tie for seventh place, but it was enough to get him to 140th on the FedEx Cup list and into the field next week.
Maruyama shared seventh place with Kevin Stadler (66), Jason Gore (67) and Will MacKenzie (69). That group finished at 17-under-par 271.

Ilonen claims second win of 2007

Stockholm, Sweden (Sports Network) - Mikko Ilonen birdied the par-three 18th Sunday, then watched as Martin Kaymer closed with a double-bogey.
Kaymer's closing double handed Ilonen his second win of the season. Ilonen completed the event at six-under-par 274 thanks to a final-round 68.
"Unbelievable finish. First I dumped it in the water on 16, then I miss a birdie on 17," Ilonen stated. "Then for the first time, I hit that green on 18 and make birdie. I'm out of words."
The 22-year-old Kaymer, who was going for his first win, shot three-over 73 and ended in a share of second at minus-four. He was joined there by Peter Hedblom (69), Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (68), Christian Cevaer (69) and Nick Dougherty (70).
Kaymer and Ilonen, who hails from Finland, battled throughout the round. After both players birdied the par-five 15th, it looked as though the 16th at Arlandastad Golf Club would be the turning point.
Ilonen's tee ball came to rest on the edge of the water right of the green. He tried to play out of the water, but advanced his ball just a few feet. He pitched his third to eight feet, but two-putted for double-bogey to slide to five-under.
Kaymer, now leading by two, knocked his tee shot over the green at the 16th. He chipped to seven feet, but only two-putted for bogey to slip to six-under.
Neither player could take advantage of the par-five 17th as they both made par.
Ilonen, playing one group ahead of Kaymer, hit a stellar tee shot to six feet at the 18th. He knocked that in for birdie to move to minus-six, then watched from the scoring trailer to see what Kaymer would do.
Kaymer pulled his tee shot left, then his chip came up short of the green. He tried to putt through the fringe, but his ball stopped eight feet short of the hole. He two-putted from there for double-bogey to end tied for second.
"You never wish for a finish like that, but someone has to win and someone has to lose," said Ilonen. "I'm sure Martin is going to win very soon. He's been up there a couple of times now. I'm sure he's lifting a trophy in the next few months."
Ilonen collected his second win of the season as he also won the Indonesia Open back in February.
Ilonen had three birdies and a bogey over the first six holes to move to minus-six, one clear of Kaymer who bogeyed four and five. Ilonen bogeyed the seventh, but recovered that shot with a birdie on nine.
Kaymer birdied the ninth to join Ilonen in the lead at six-under and set up the big finish.
Cevaer posted four rounds of one-under 69 to end in a share of second. He posted four birdies and three bogeys on Sunday. Dougherty managed just two birdies and two bogeys in the final round to end at minus-four.
Gonnet parred his first 11 holes, before collecting two birdies over the final seven holes to cap a bogey-free 68 that left him tied for second.
Hedblom opened with nine straight pars before collecting three birdies and two bogeys on the back nine to end at four-under.
James Kingston, who entered the final round tied for the lead with Kaymer, struggled to a four-over 74. That dropped him into a share of seventh at three-under-par 277, where he was joined by Paul Broadhurst and Corey Pavin.

Garcia disqualified at PGA Championship

Tulsa, OK (Sports Network) - Sergio Garcia was disqualified from the PGA Championship on Saturday for signing an incorrect scorecard.
Garcia signed for a par four at the 17th, but actually made five.
This has been a tough run of major championships for the Spaniard. He held the lead throughout the British Open Championship last month and needed a par on his last to win his first major.
Garcia missed a six-foot par save, then lost by a stroke to Padraig Harrington in the playoff.

Woods makes more history at PGA

Tulsa, OK (Sports Network) - Tiger Woods matched the lowest round in major championship history on Friday with an eight-under-par 62, a historic round that gave him the second-round lead at the PGA Championship at Southern Hills.
Woods stood at seven-under par for his round with a great look at birdie on the 18th hole. His 12-footer for a record-setting 62 seemed destined for the cup, but lipped out after going three-quarters of the way around the hole.
"I knew if I made that putt on the last hole it would have been a nice record to have," said the defending champion. "I thought it was in. I guess a touch firmer."
He finished 36 holes at six-under-par 134, which is good for a two-shot lead over Scott Verplank, who shot a four-under 66 in the morning.
Last year's U.S. Open winner, Geoff Ogilvy (68), and Stephen Ames (69) are tied for third place at minus-three. Woody Austin posted an even-par 70 and is alone in fifth place at two-under 138.
But no one was in Woods' league on Friday.
He birdied the first, then rattled off back-to-back birdies from the fourth. Woods bogeyed seven for the second straight day, then tapped in a short birdie putt at the ninth.
Woods also birdied the 10th to reach three-under par and trail by one. He appeared to be in trouble at the 12th, but sank an improbable 30-footer to save par.
"The putt on 12 was huge," he said. "It kept the momentum of the round going."
That putt certainly spurred Woods on as he went on a spectacular run after the par save.
At the par-five 13th, Woods found a bunker with his second, but blasted out to three feet. He converted that birdie putt, then holed a 15-foot chip from the fringe for another birdie at 14.
Woods drained a 20-footer at the 15th to polish off three consecutive birdies. That put him alone in the lead at minus-six, but his margin was extended when Ogilvy bogeyed the last two holes.
Woods needed at least one more birdie on the way to the clubhouse for the 18- hole major scoring record. He had decent looks at the 16th and 17th, but did not convert.
The putt cruelly stayed above ground at Southern Hills' demanding closing hole, but Woods, true to form, put the major championship ahead of everything else.
"Sixty-two would have meant I had a three-shot lead, not a two-shot lead," he offered.
Woods is now in a very comfortable position. Of the six previous majors contested at Southern Hills, the winners have all held at least a part of the 36-hole lead.
"I'd like it to continue," said Woods, who also matched Raymond Floyd's course record.
Woods has 12 major titles on his mantle, and in all 12 he has held the lead on Saturday night. The game's best front-runner has now taken first place and the rest of the field will need something special to catch the No. 1 player in the world.
Verplank is in the best spot to do it.
He parred his first eight holes, then rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt at the ninth. Two holes later, Verplank hit a seven-iron to six feet and canned the birdie putt to reach two-under par for the championship.
At the par-four 15th, Verplank hit an eight-iron to 12 feet to set up his third birdie of the round. He found the fairway at 17, but was slightly blocked by some trees. No matter, as Verplank punched a pitching-wedge to eight feet and holed that birdie try to take the lead.
Verplank had a decent chance to pad his advantage at the closing hole. He had 20 feet for birdie, but missed the putt and settled for a bogey-free round of 66.
"I hit the ball yesterday and today as good as I've ever hit it," acknowledged Verplank. "I just hit lots of fairways, lots of greens, very solid shots and putting at birdie most holes."
Pat Perez (69), Niclas Fasth (68) and John Senden (70) are knotted in sixth place at minus-one.
John Daly, who started the round in second place, struggled a bit on Friday. He shot a three-over 73 and is tied for ninth place with Ernie Els (68), Arron Oberholser (72), Camilo Villegas (71), Adam Scott (68) and Paul McGinley (66). That group is at even-par 140.
Phil Mickelson carded a one-under 69 on Friday to move to plus-two for the championship. The 2005 winner was not satisfied despite an under-par round at this demanding track.
"It just feels like I'm leaving four, five shots out there, is all," said Mickelson, who has missed the cut in his last two majors. "I feel like I'm playing a lot better than I'm scoring. That's what's been frustrating."

Daly goes over the river and through the woods at PGA

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- If Tiger Woods is a Rembrandt, John Daly is a paint-by-number Elvis on black velvet. Tacky, for sure. Yet there's something oddly endearing about it, and you can't help but gawk.
Especially when Daly pulls stunts like he did Friday on No. 10 at Southern Hills.
At 366 yards, downhill and with a big dogleg to the right, a 4- or 5-iron off the tee is the smart move for this par-4. It leaves players with a short approach, and a good chance for birdie.
Daly?
He waited for the green to clear, then pulled out driver and ripped it.
"We're not set up to find that shot," a TV announcer said as the ball rocketed toward the green.
Thing is, Daly doesn't do anything by anybody's plans. Never has. Which is why, despite the blistering heat and suffocating humidity, a Tiger-sized gallery was following every move of the topsy-turvy 3-over 73 that turned him back into America's favorite side show after a brief stay atop the leaderboard at the PGA Championship.
"For some reason," wife Sherrie said during a brief interview Friday as she walked the course, "everyone likes John."
He hits driver when he should hit irons. He opts for slot machines over practice rounds. He smokes cigarettes and chugs
diet soda when water and an energy bar would be better.
And that fairway in front of him? Well, that's merely a suggestion.
"Do you think they would have booed him if he'd pulled out an iron?" Todd Hamilton asked after watching Daly tee off on No. 10.
Conservative is not a word that has ever existed in Daly's dictionary, and being two shots off the lead after the first round of a major wasn't going to change his mind. Even if a win -- heck, a solid showing even -- could recharge a career that has seemingly dead ended after falling to 423 in the world rankings.
So he went for every green -- and got to know just about every inch of Southern Hills' rough and woods. Of 14 fairways, he hit a measly one and that wasn't until 11 holes into the round. He duffed an easy sand shot and missed more putts than a weekend hack.
He did birdie the last hole to stay at even-par for the tournament, and in a six-way tie for ninth.
"The fairways are just so hard to hit," Daly said. "I just kept grinding, grinding, grinding."
Not that fans cared. If they wanted textbook or pretty golf, they would have followed Woods or Geoff Ogilvy. Or sat home watching a tape of Jack Nicklaus. No, fans simply adore Daly because he plays like they wish they could.
His shot off the 13th tee went so far left, he was almost on the next hole over, No. 17. The sensible route would have been to punch back onto 13, and the marshals went ahead and moved the gallery to clear just such a path.
But as Daly got to the ball, his eyes darted left. That 17th fairway was wide open, calling his name. He looked at the path the marshals cleared several times, but his eyes kept going back to 17.
Finally, his caddie told everybody to move. The circus had just rolled into town.
Daly punched the ball forward, landing squarely on the 17th fairway. The players coming up the hole laughed when they saw him, and one caddie said, "In the middle again, huh?"
But Daly knew what he was doing. He had an unobstructed -- not to mention shorter -- shot to the green, and his third shot put him within 8 feet of the hole. Fans whooped and hollered, and Daly was grinning as he lumbered to the green.
OK, so he two-putted from there. That's not the point. Daly is pure entertainment -- on and off the course.
He's a two-time major champion, but he hasn't won a PGA Tour event in three years and doesn't even have a card anymore. The closest he got to this year's Masters was an autograph session down the road at the local Hooters.
He did have a brief moment of grandeur at the British Open, but it lasted all of 15 minutes. After pitching in on the 11th hole for an eagle in the first round, he found himself as a most unlikely leader. He went on to miss the cut.
His personal life would make Jerry Springer cringe. He freely admits to drinking and gambling too much, to say nothing of that nasty nicotine habit. Sherrie is Wife No. 4 and while they've been married for six years, it hasn't exactly been domestic bliss.
Just two months ago, Daly showed up at a tour stop in Memphis with a face full of scratches that he blamed on Sherrie, saying she came after him with a steak knife. They've since reconciled. Or at least are getting along well enough to come to Southern Hills with the kids.
Don't ask about it, though.
"That's where we end," Sherrie Daly said.
But it's hard not to love the big lug. That's why the people keep showing up.
"I've been telling him he could win soon," Sherrie Daly said. "He's due. He hasn't had much luck."

Verplank on top at Southern Hills

Tulsa, OK (Sports Network) - Oklahoma State graduate Scott Verplank shot a four-under 66 on Friday to take the lead during the second round of the PGA Championship at Southern Hills.
Verplank, considered a favorite before the tournament due to his straight hitting, completed 36 holes at four-under-par 136.
He is one ahead of Stephen Ames, who posted a one-under 69 on Friday. Camilo Villegas and Arron Oberholser are also three-under par in the middle of their second rounds.
Tiger Woods birdied his first hole on Friday and is even-par for the championship. The defending champion is gunning for his first major title of the year. Since his breakthrough Masters win in 1997, Woods has only had three seasons without a major title.
Woody Austin managed an even-par 70 in round two and is in the clubhouse at two-under-par 138. Sergio Garcia and 2006 U.S. Open winner Geoff Ogilvy are also at that number on the course.
John Daly, the 1991 PGA Champion, bogeyed his first two holes and dipped to minus-one for the tournament.
Phil Mickelson carded a one-under 69 on Friday to move to plus-two for the championship. The 2005 winner was not satisfied despite an under-par round at this demanding track.
"It just feels like I'm leaving four, five shots out there, is all," said Mickelson, who has missed the cut in his last two majors. "I feel like I'm playing a lot better than I'm scoring. That's what's been frustrating."
Mickelson played a practice round with Verplank this week and saw something in his Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teammate.
"He spent a lot of time in Oklahoma and Texas with this Bermuda rough," Mickelson said. "He's able to get up-and-down on the greens. If he hits a poor shot, he can salvage par. I think he'll be the guy to beat this week."
Verplank parred his first eight holes, then rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt at the ninth. He birdied the par-three 11th and added birdies at 15 and 17 to grab the lead.
At the 18th, Verplank had 20 feet for a birdie, but missed. Seeking his first major title, he still has the lead with half of the field in the clubhouse.
"Other than the heat, I feel pretty good," said Verplank. "It would be more than a dream come true (to win a major), particularly to have it here close to where I live. It would be probably unbelievable to me."
Ames was tied with Verplank at minus-four on the 18th hole, but hit a tree with his approach. He could not hole a long par putt, but did convert a five- footer for bogey to stay one behind.
John Senden carded an even-par 70 and is in the clubhouse at minus-one. Adam Scott (68) and Paul McGiney (66) finished 36 holes at even-par 140.
Overnight leader Graeme Storm struggled to a six-over 76 Friday and tumbled plus-one for the championship.

Daly leads PGA; Woods four back

Tulsa, OK (Sports Network) - John Daly fired a three-under 67 on Thursday to take the lead during the first round of the PGA Championship at a sweltering Southern Hills Country Club.
Temperatures reached over 100 degrees already at Southern Hills, host of the 2001 U.S. Open. The weather is expected to be the same all week, so empty water bottles will be the norm.
Daly, the surprise 1991 winner who was the ninth alternate to start that week, has not had a good year thus far. He has no status on the PGA Tour and, in limited exemptions, has posted zero top 10s. Daly has 17 events under his belt, with five made cuts and four withdrawals.
"I've been putting too much pressure on myself," acknowledged Daly. "Being hurt doesn't help. I haven't really played that bad. I just haven't been able to score. If you can't score, you don't have any confidence."
World No. 1 and defending champion Tiger Woods is in search of his first major of the year. He opened with a one-over 71, which is disappointing considering he flew out of the gate.
He started on the 10th tee Thursday and knocked his approach at 10 to seven feet. Woods drained that putt, and added birdies at 13 and 15 to join the lead at minus-three.
Woods dropped a shot at the 18th when he could not save par from a bunker. That kick-started a run of bad golf which saw Woods bogey two and four. He made birdie at the par-five fifth, but fell back to even-par with a bogey at seven.
At the 245-yard, par-three eighth, Woods came up short with his tee ball. He chipped to 10 feet, but missed the par save. Woods rolled in a three-footer at No. 9 to stay at one-over par.
"I felt like I hit the ball better than my score indicates, which is good," said Woods, who won last week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational by eight. "That's a good sign heading into the next three days."
The last season Woods failed to win a major was 2004. Since his breakout victory at the 1997 Masters, Woods has only had three seasons without one of golf's big four in his trophy case.
England's Graeme Storm is also three-under par on the course.
Arron Oberholser shot a two-under 68 with several players still on the course at that number.
Mark Wilson, Markus Brier, Camilo Villegas, Lee Westwood and 2006 U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy are in the clubhouse at one-under-par 69.
They are all looking up at Daly, who turned heads in the golf world earlier this season.
During the second round of the St. Jude Championship in early June, Daly showed up with scratch marks on his cheeks. He told authorities his wife attacked him while he was asleep.
The next time Daly surfaced was last month at the British Open Championship, a tournament he won in 1995. Daly took the lead with a chip-in eagle on Thursday, then exploded and missed the cut.
On Thursday, Daly was able to finish off his round.
Daly recorded birdies at four, seven and nine, with the last birdie coming from 10 feet. At the par-five 13th, Daly ran his 25-foot eagle putt three feet by the hole. Daly converted that birdie putt to make it to four-under par.
At the 507-yard, par-four 16th, Daly hit a poor second shot en route to a bogey. That dropped him to minus-three, but the 1991 champion hung on with pars at the last two for his spot on the leaderboard.
Daly thinks he might know the key to his success on Thursday. "At the British, I played three practice rounds. Grinding, grinding, grinding," said Daly. "I came here and said I'm just goin

Goosen returns to Southern Hills, site of his first major victory

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- This is where it all started for Retief Goosen.
In the course of a week, he went from a largely unknown South African asking Nick Price for advice to a major champion with international notoriety.
Given the chance to atone for a giant mistake on a tiny putt, Goosen conquered Southern Hills to win the 2001 U.S. Open. The PGA Championship brings him back this week to soak in the fond memories that could've easily turned sour.
"It's always nice coming back to a place where you've won," Goosen said Wednesday. "Especially a major."
Goosen's breakthrough win, his first in the United States, came only after he'd three-putted from 12 feet on the 72nd hole to fall into a playoff against 1996 PGA champion Mark Brooks. It could've easily slipped away after such a chaotic fourth-round finish, but instead he charged out to a five-stroke lead after only 10 holes in the playoff and cruised comfortably to the title.
During his final practice round Wednesday, Goosen recalled some of the shots and putts that had propelled him to the victory six years earlier. But without a Monday save, there might have been at least a cringe or two.
"It was a long week that week," said Goosen, who also won the 2004 U.S. Open. "Eight rounds of golf I played."
Goosen's week started with practice rounds that he played alongside Price, the winner of the 1994 PGA Championship -- the previous major played on the course. Price opened with rounds of 67 and 65 and went wire-to-wire for a six-stroke win and his second PGA Championship in three years.
"I think I learned a lot from what he was using off the tees and some of the places he was putting to on the greens," Goosen said. "Definitely I think I learned a bit from him that week."
It showed early as Goosen claiming a share of the lead after a rain-shortened first day. Like four of the other five players to win major championships at Southern Hills, Goosen kept at least a portion of that lead through each round.
But he left himself no wiggle room by the end of the weekend. After Stewart Cink had missed a tap-in that seemed meaningless at the time, Goosen set forth on his three-putt.
To cap a week of players struggling with the speed on the 18th green, Goosen convinced himself he needed extra oomph on his 12-footer but sent it past the hole. And then he misread a 2-footer that still would've clinched the title for him.
"I putted so well the whole week, and then the last (hole) it was a bit of a lack of focusing really and not fully concentrating on what I trying to do," Goosen said.
He was able to make the third to salvage a chance that he'd eventually convert into his big win.
Heading into this week, it's his putting that's failing him. Goosen blamed trouble reading putts for a recent funk in which he hasn't cracked the top 20 since tying with Tiger Woods for second place at the Masters in April. Goosen held the lead at the turn Sunday at Augusta National but couldn't make a birdie down the stretch.
It's been downhill from there.
"It's been pretty terrible," Goosen said. "If you can't make putts, you can't score. And then it gradually works into the rest of your game, puts more pressure on the rest of your game."
But Goosen still has good memories of the greens at Southern Hills, even if one caused him an extra headache.

The PGA Championship History

(Wikipedia) The PGA Championship (often referred to as the U.S. PGA Championship outside of North America) is an annual golf tournament conducted by the Professional Golfers Association of America as part of the PGA Tour. The PGA Championship is one of the four major championships in men's golf, and it is the golf season's final major, played in August (customarily the 4th weekend after the Open Championship (British Open), but being advanced a week in 2007 and 2008 because of local scheduling conflicts). It is an official money event on the PGA Tour, the European Tour, and the Japan Golf Tour, with a purse in 2006 of $6.8 million (apprx. €5.3 million).

In line with the other majors, winning the PGA gives a golfer several privileges which make his career much more secure, if he is not already one of the elite of the sport. PGA champions are automatically invited to play in the other three majors (the Masters, U.S. Open, and the Open Championship) for the next five years, and are exempt from qualifying for the PGA Championship for life. They also receive membership on the PGA Tour for the following five seasons and invitations to the Players Championship for five years.

The PGA Championship has been held at a large number of venues, some of the early ones now quite obscure, but currently it is usually staged by one of a small group of celebrated courses, each of which has also hosted several other leading events.

History
The first PGA Championship was held in 1916 at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, New York. The winner, Jim Barnes, received $500. 2006 winner Tiger Woods received $1.224 million. The champion is also awarded the Wanamaker Trophy, which was donated by Rodman Wanamaker.

Initially a match play event, the tournament changed to stroke play in 1958. Network broadcasters, preferring a large group of well-known contenders on the final day, are sometimes accused of pressuring tournament organizers to make the format change.

Qualification

The PGA Championship was established for the purpose of providing a high profile tournament specifically for professional golfers at a time when they were generally not held in high esteem in a sport that was largely run by wealthy amateurs. This origin is still reflected in the entry system for the Championship. It is the only major which does not invite leading amateurs to compete, and the only one which reserves a large number of places, 20 of 156, for club professionals. These slots are determined by the top finishers in the club pro championship, which is held in July.

Since 1968, the PGA Tour has been independent of the PGA of America. The PGA Tour is an elite organization of tournament professionals, but the PGA Championship is still run by the PGA of America, which is mainly a body for club and teaching professionals. The PGA Championship is the only major that does not explicitly grant entry to the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Rankings, although it invariably invites all top 50 players who are not already qualified.

List of qualification criteria:

* All former PGA Champions.
* Winners of the last five U.S. Opens.
* Winners of the last five Masters.
* Winners of the last five Open Championships.
* The last Senior PGA Champion.
* The low 15 scorers and ties in the previous PGA Championship.
* The 20 low scorers in the last PGA Professional National Championship.
* The 70 leaders in official money standings (starting one week prior to the previous year's PGA Championship and ending two weeks prior to the current year's PGA Championship).
* Members of the most recent United States Ryder Cup Team.
* Winners of tournaments co-sponsored or approved by the PGA Tour since the previous PGA Championship (does not include pro-am and team competitions).
* The PGA of America reserves the right to invite additional players not included in the categories listed above.
* The total field is a maximum of 156 players. Vacancies are filled by the first available player from the list of alternates (those below 70th place in official money standings).

Strokeplay era winners

Year	Champion	Country	Venue	Location of venue	Winner's Score
2007	(Aug 9-12)		Southern Hills Country Club	Tulsa, Oklahoma
2006	Tiger Woods	United States	Medinah Country Club, Course No. 3	Medinah, Illinois	69-68-65-68-270 (-18)
2005	Phil Mickelson	United States	Baltusrol Golf Club, Lower Course	Springfield, New Jersey	67-65-72-72-276 (-4)
2004	Vijay Singh[1]	Fiji	Whistling Straits, Straits Course	Kohler, Wisconsin	67-68-69-76-280 (-8)
2003	Shaun Micheel	United States	Oak Hill Country Club, East Course	Rochester, New York	69-68-69-70-276 (-4)
2002	Rich Beem	United States	Hazeltine National Golf Club	Chaska, Minnesota	72-66-72-68-278 (-10)
2001	David Toms	United States	Atlanta Athletic Club, Highlands Course	Duluth, Georgia	66-65-65-69-265 (-15)
2000	Tiger Woods[2]	United States	Valhalla Golf Club	Louisville, Kentucky	66-67-70-67-270 (-18)
1999	Tiger Woods	United States	Medinah Country Club, Course No. 3	Medinah, Illinois	70-67-68-72-277 (-11)
1998	Vijay Singh	Fiji	Sahalee Country Club	Sammamish, Washington	70-66-67-68-271 (-9)
1997	Davis Love III	United States	Winged Foot Golf Club, West Course	Mamaroneck, New York	66-71-66-66-269 (-11)
1996	Mark Brooks[3]	United States	Valhalla Golf Club	Louisville, Kentucky	68-70-69-70-277 (-11)
1995	Steve Elkington[4]	Australia	The Riviera Country Club	Pacific Palisades, California	68-67-68-64-267 (-17)
1994	Nick Price	Zimbabwe	Southern Hills Country Club	Tulsa, Oklahoma	67-65-70-67-269 (-11)
1993	Paul Azinger[5]	United States	Inverness Club	Toledo, Ohio	69-66-69-68-272 (-12)
1992	Nick Price	Zimbabwe	Bellerive Country Club	St. Louis, Missouri	70-70-68-70-278 (-6)
1991	John Daly	United States	Crooked Stick Golf Club	Carmel, Indiana	69-67-69-71-276 (-12)
1990	Wayne Grady	Australia	Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club	Birmingham, Alabama	72-67-72-71-282 (-6)
1989	Payne Stewart	United States	Kemper Lakes Golf Club	Long Grove, Illinois	74-66-69-67-276 (-12)
1988	Jeff Sluman	United States	Oak Tree Golf Club	Edmond, Oklahoma	69-70-68-65-272 (-12)
1987	Larry Nelson[6]	United States	PGA National Resort & Spa	Palm Beach Gardens, Florida	70-72-73-72-287 (-1)
1986	Bob Tway	United States	Inverness Club	Toledo, Ohio	72-70-64-70-276 (-8)
1985	Hubert Green	United States	Cherry Hills Country Club	Cherry Hills Village, Colorado	67-69-70-72-278 (-10)
1984	Lee Trevino	United States	Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club	Birmingham, Alabama	69-68-67-69-273 (-15)
1983	Hal Sutton	United States	The Riviera Country Club	Pacific Palisades, California	65-66-72-71-274 (-10)
1982	Raymond Floyd	United States	Southern Hills Country Club	Tulsa, Oklahoma	63-69-68-72-272 (-8)
1981	Larry Nelson	United States	Atlanta Athletic Club, Highlands Course	Duluth, Georgia	70-66-66-71-273 (-7)
1980	Jack Nicklaus	United States	Oak Hill Country Club, East Course	Rochester, New York	70-69-66-69-274 (-6)
1979	David Graham[7]	Australia	Oakland Hills Country Club, South Course	Bloomfield Township, Michigan	69-68-70-65-272 (-8)
1978	John Mahaffey[8]	United States	Oakmont Country Club	Oakmont, Pennsylvania	75-67-68-66-276 (-8)
1977	Lanny Wadkins[9]	United States	Pebble Beach Golf Links	Pebble Beach, California	69-71-72-70-282 (-3)
1976	Dave Stockton	United States	Congressional Country Club, Blue Course	Bethesda, Maryland	70-72-69-70-281 (+1)
1975	Jack Nicklaus	United States	Firestone Country Club, South Course	Akron, Ohio	70-68-67-71-276 (-4)
1974	Lee Trevino	United States	Tanglewood Park, Championship Course	Clemmons, North Carolina	73-66-68-69-276 (-4)
1973	Jack Nicklaus	United States	Canterbury Golf Club	Beachwood, Ohio	72-68-68-69-277 (-7)
1972	Gary Player	South Africa	Oakland Hills Country Club, South Course	Bloomfield Hills, Michigan	71-71-67-72-281 (+1)
1971	Jack Nicklaus	United States	PGA National Golf Club	Palm Beach Gardens, Florida	69-69-70-73-281 (-7)
1970	Dave Stockton	United States	Southern Hills Country Club	Tulsa, Oklahoma	70-70-66-73-279 (-1)
1969	Raymond Floyd	United States	NCR Country Club, South Course	Dayton, Ohio	69-66-67-74-276 (-8)
1968	Julius Boros	United States	Pecan Valley Golf Club	San Antonio, Texas	71-71-70-69-281 (+1)
1967	Don January[10]	United States	Columbine Country Club	Columbine Valley, Colorado	71-72-70-68-281 (-7)
1966	Al Geiberger	United States	Firestone Country Club, South Course	Akron, Ohio	68-72-68-72-280 (E)
1965	Dave Marr	United States	Laurel Valley Golf Club	Ligonier, Pennsylvania	70-69-70-71-280 (-4)
1964	Bobby Nichols	United States	Columbus Country Club	Columbus, Ohio	64-71-69-67-271 (-9)
1963	Jack Nicklaus	United States	Dallas Athletic Club, Blue Course	Dallas, Texas	69-73-69-68-279 (-5)
1962	Gary Player	South Africa	Aronimink Golf Club	Newtown Square, Pennsylvania	72-67-69-70-278 (-2)
1961	Jerry Barber[11]	United States	Olympia Fields Country Club	Olympia Fields, Illinois	69-67-71-70-277 (-3)
1960	Jay Hebert	United States	Firestone Country Club, South Course	Akron, Ohio	72-67-72-70-281 (+1)
1959	Bob Rosburg	United States	Minneapolis Golf Club	Minneapolis, Minnesota	71-72-68-66-277 (-3)
1958	Dow Finsterwald	United States	Llanerch Country Club	Havertown, Pennsylvania	67-72-70-67-276 (-14)

Matchplay era winners

Year	Champion	Country	Runner-up	Margin	Venue	Location of venue
1957	Lionel Hebert	United States	Dow Finsterwald	2 & 1	Miami Valley Country Club	Dayton, Ohio
1956	Jack Burke, Jr	United States	Ted Kroll	3 & 2	Blue Hill Country Club	Canton, Massachusetts
1955	Doug Ford	United States	Cary Middlecoff	4 & 3	Meadowbrook Country Club	Detroit
1954	Chick Harbert	United States	Walter Burkemo	4 & 3	Keller Golf Club	Saint Paul
1953	Walter Burkemo	United States	Felice Torza	4 & 3	Birmingham Country Club	Birmingham, Michigan
1952	Jim Turnesa	United States	Chick Harbert	1 up	Big Spring Country Club	Louisville
1951	Sam Snead	United States	Walter Burkemo	7 & 6	Oakmont Country Club	Oakmont, Pennsylvania
1950	Chandler Harper	United States	Henry Williams, Jr.	4 & 3	Scioto Country Club	Columbus, Ohio
1949	Sam Snead	United States	Johnny Palmer	3 & 2	Hermitage Country Club	Richmond, Virginia
1948	Ben Hogan	United States	Mike Turnesa	7 & 6	Norwood Hills Country Club	St. Louis, Missouri
1947	Jim Ferrier	Australia	Chick Harbert	2 & 1	Plum Hollow Country Club	Detroit, Michigan
1946	Ben Hogan	United States	Ed Oliver	6 & 4	Portland Golf Club	Portland, Oregon
1945	Byron Nelson	United States	Sam Byrd	4 & 3	Moraine Country Club	Dayton, Ohio
1944	Bob Hamilton	United States	Byron Nelson	1 up	Manita Golf and Country Club	Spokane, Washington
1943	Not held due to World War II
1942	Sam Snead	United States	Jim Turnesa	2 & 1	Seaview Country Club	Atlantic City, New Jersey
1941	Vic Ghezzi	United States	Byron Nelson	1 up	Cherry Hills Country Club	Cherry Hills Village, Colorado
1940	Byron Nelson	United States	Sam Snead	1 up	Hershey Country Club, West Course	Hershey, Pennsylvania
1939	Henry Picard	United States	Byron Nelson	1 up	Pomonok Country Club	Flushing, New York
1938	Paul Runyan	United States	Sam Snead	8 & 7	The Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort	Smithfield Township, Pennsylvania
1937	Denny Shute	United States	Harold McSpaden	1 up	Pittsburgh Field Club	O'Hara Township, Pennsylvania
1936	Denny Shute	United States	Jimmy Thomson	3 & 2	Pinehurst Resort, No. 2 Course	Pinehurst, North Carolina
1935	Johnny Revolta	United States	Tommy Armour	5 & 4	Twin Hills Golf & Country Club	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
1934	Paul Runyan	United States	Craig Wood	1 up	The Park Country Club	Williamsville, New York
1933	Gene Sarazen	United States	Willie Goggin	5 & 4	Blue Mound Golf & Country Club	Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
1932	Olin Dutra	United States	Frank Walsh	4 & 3	Keller Golf Club	Saint Paul, Minnesota
1931	Tom Creavy	United States	Denny Shute	2 & 1	Wannamoisett Country Club	Rumford, Rhode Island
1930	Tommy Armour	United States^	Gene Sarazen	1 up	Fresh Meadow Country Club	Great Neck, New York
1929	Leo Diegel	United States	Johnny Farrell	6 & 4	Hillcrest Country Club	Los Angeles, California
1928	Leo Diegel	United States	Al Espinosa	6 & 5	Baltimore Country Club, East Course	Timonium, Maryland
1927	Walter Hagen	United States	Joe Turnesa	1 up	Cedar Crest Country Club	Dallas, Texas
1926	Walter Hagen	United States	Leo Diegel	5 & 3	Salisbury Golf Club, Red Course	East Meadow, New York
1925	Walter Hagen	United States	Bill Mehlhorn	6 & 5	Olympia Fields Country Club	Olympia Fields, Illinois
1924	Walter Hagen	United States	Jim Barnes	2 up	Hill Course, French Lick Springs Resort	French Lick, Indiana
1923	Gene Sarazen	United States	Walter Hagen	1 up	Pelham Country Club	Pelham Manor, New York
1922	Gene Sarazen	United States	Emmet French	4 & 3	Oakmont Country Club	Oakmont, Pennsylvania
1921	Walter Hagen	United States	Jim Barnes	3 & 2	Inwood Country Club	Inwood, New York
1920	Jock Hutchison	United States^	J. Douglas Edgar	1 up	Flossmoor Country Club	Flossmoor, Illinois
1919	Jim Barnes	United States^	Fred McLeod	6 & 5	Engineers Country Club	Roslyn Harbor, New York
1917-1918: Not held due to World War I
1916	Jim Barnes	United States^	Jock Hutchison	1 up	Siwanoy Country Club	Bronxville, New York

^ These players were British born, but they were based in the United States when they won the PGA Championship, and they became U.S. citizens:

• Tommy Armour - Born in Scotland but moved to the U.S. in the early 1920s and became a U.S. citizen at that time.
• Jock Hutchison - Born in Scotland. He was a U.S. citizen at the time of his 1921 Open Championship win, so he was probably already a U.S. citizen in 1920, but this is unconfirmed.
• Jim Barnes - Born in England. Moved to the United States in 1906 and may have become a U.S. citizen as early as 1907, but this is unconfirmed.

If these British-born players are excluded, then the PGA Championship is the only one of the four majors never to have been won by a European.

Multiple winners

The following men have won the PGA Championship more than once through 2006.

5 wins:

• Walter Hagen: 1921, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927
• Jack Nicklaus: 1963, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1980

3 wins:

• Gene Sarazen: 1922, 1923, 1933
• Sam Snead: 1942, 1949, 1951
• Tiger Woods: 1999, 2000, 2006

2 wins:

• Jim Barnes: 1916, 1919
• Leo Diegel: 1928, 1929
• Raymond Floyd: 1969, 1982
• Ben Hogan: 1946, 1948
• Byron Nelson: 1940, 1945
• Larry Nelson: 1981, 1987
• Gary Player:1962, 1972
• Nick Price: 1992, 1994
• Paul Runyan: 1934, 1938
• Denny Shute: 1936, 1937
• Vijay Singh: 1998, 2004
• Dave Stockton: 1970, 1976
• Lee Trevino: 1974, 1984