Watson grabs Senior Open lead with 66

Kohler, WI (Sports Network) - Tom Watson, who has won four majors titles on the Champions Tour, fired a six-under 66 Friday to grab a three-stroke lead after two rounds of the U.S. Senior Open.
Watson completed 36 holes at eight-under-par 136.
Ben Crenshaw, who is still searching for his first win since the 1995 Masters, fired a five-under 67 Friday. He moved into a share of second place at five- under-par 139, where he was joined by Des Smyth (69), Lonnie Nielsen (71), Vicente Fernandez (70) and two-time major winner on the Champions Tour Loren Roberts (69).
First-round leader Eduardo Romero faltered to a five-over 77 in round two. He carded two birdies, four bogeys and a triple-bogey in his round that dropped him into a share of 21st at one-under-par 143.
The first and second rounds were both completed on Friday. Round one was halted Thursday by inclement weather.
Watson opened with four straight pars from No. 10 at Whistling Straits. At the short par-four 14th, he dropped his second shot within 12 feet and converted the birdie putt. Watson came right back with a birdie on 15 to move to minus- four.
The nine-time winner on the Champions Tour two-putted for birdie from the fringe of the green at the par-five 16th. Watson made a short birdie putt to get to six-under at 17, but dropped a shot at the 18th when he missed a six- foot par putt.
Around the turn, Watson drained a 20-footer for birdie at the par-five second to grab the lead at six-under. He hit an eight-iron to eight feet at the third to set up another birdie.
Watson ran in a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-five fifth and made it two in a row as he made birdie from just inside seven feet at the sixth to climb to minus-nine.
The 57-year-old Watson found a bunker off the tee at eight and had to pitch out sideways. That led to a two-putt bogey and he went on to par the ninth, his last.
"Obviously, the wind was different today, but it really was not a big factor," said Watson. "I felt for the most part my swing was pretty darn good, but I made some awkward swings out there today to hit some awkward shots and got away with them for the most part."
The changing wind conditions have never bothered Watson before. He has won five British Opens and two Senior British Opens, as well as the 1982 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
"The wind was predicted to come from the northwest, but it actually came from the east and switched around to the southeast as we finished," stated Watson. "So the wind is doing its magic work here at Whistling Straits, you never know where it's coming from. It's playing different than it did in the last two practice rounds and the first round."
Crenshaw opened with a double-bogey on the par-four 10th, but rebounded with four birdies over the next six holes to get to minus-two overall.
Around the turn, Crenshaw dropped in back-to-back birdies putts from the first. He moved into a share of second with a birdie on No. 6.
"I putted very well today," said Crenshaw. "If you hit some good shots and kept the ball in play, you felt like you could do some things."
Smyth carded three bogeys, a birdie and an eagle over his opening nine holes. Around the turn on the front nine, Smyth drained three birdies to get to minus-five.
Nielsen managed two bogeys and three birdies in his round of 71, while Fernandez posted four birdies and a double-bogey.
Roberts, who finished second to Jay Haas in the money race and the Charles Schwab Cup last year, carded a bogey-free 69 with three birdies and 15 pars.
"If you're driving the ball in the fairway, the greens obviously are holding," Roberts said. "You can hit some good shots. I had a lot of birdie chances today and was able to convert three of them, and had no bogeys."
Tom Purtzer posted a five-under 67 to move into a share of seventh place at four-under-par 140. He stands alongside Jim Woodward, Ron Vlosich, Jeff Coston and D.A. Weibring. Bruce Vaughan, Keith Fergus and Joe Ozaki are one stroke further back at minus-three.
The cut line fell at four-over-par 148 with 62 players moving on to the weekend. Among those who missed the cut were Champions Tour all-time wins leader Hale Irwin (149), Morris Hatalsky (151), Bruce Summerhays (153) and Allen Doyle (155). Doyle had won this title the last two years.
"I had a bad round (Thursday). You hope it doesn't happen, but it did," Doyle admitted. "I had high hopes, so I'll go home a little disappointed, but that is the way it is. I went home the last two years very happy."