Mize Is Now Master of Williams Open

Some guys are born to play the violin, others to drive a truck. Larry Mize, whose middle name is Hogan and whose hometown is Augusta, Ga., could only be a professional golfer.

With just one tour victory--and that one nearly two years ago--he’s hardly a fellow whose measurements have to be kept on file by the custodians of the green jackets at Augusta National.

But he’s hopeful.

“They say the first win is the hardest,” Mize said. “I don’t know about that. My first one (the Memphis Open) came sooner than I expected. It was a real surprise to me.

“At least I know that I can win out here, and I’m sure I’ll win before this year is out. You’ve got to have that feeling.”

With a 68 Friday for a 134 total, 10 under par, he gave substance to that feeling by assuming the halfway lead in the Shearson Lehman Brothers Andy Williams Open.

Mize leads Dan Edwards and Bob Tway by one stroke, and is two ahead of nine players tied at 136.

Among that group is Tony Sills, a former USC golfer who used to deliver pizzas while struggling to earn a place on the pro tour.

Sills shot a 66 Friday, extending his streak of par-or-better rounds to 14, easily the best streak of his life. He hasn’t been over par all year.

“I’m playing great, but not as good as I can,” he said. “I could have had a 64 or maybe better today.”

And he wasn’t talking idly. Sills holed a 100-foot birdie putt on the 175-yard, par-3 third hole on the South course, “pretty damn near the longest I ever made,” he said.

Another member of that group two strokes behind Mize was John Cook, who matched Sills with a 66 Friday.

Although his round included seven birdies, Cook wasn’t inclined to view Torrey Pines as a soft touch.

“The par 5s aren’t automatic gimmes anymore,” he said. “I don’t see anyone reaching 20-under like last year, but that sure would be a nice number to have.”

There were 85 golfers who made the cut at one-under 143. Among those who missed were Craig Stadler and Lon Hinkle.

Defending champion Woody Blackburn, who opened with a 66 Thursday, followed with a 74, putting him six shots behind Mize.

Tom Watson, the biggest name in contention, matched his opening-round 69, leaving him four shots off the lead.

The tournament leader said there are some similarities between Torrey Pines and Augusta National.

“Take the par 5s,” Mize said. “You have to play them well on both courses. You have to hit big drives and solid fairway woods.

“And there are some fast downhill putts on both courses. The greens here are not as severe as Augusta, though.”

Mize saw his first Masters as a boy of 10 in 1967, not long after his father started him playing golf.

His memories of that first exposure to Augusta National are a bit cloudy, but after all these years, he never tires of thinking about the course.

Should he ever become a full-blown star, he would be the first golfer from Augusta to claim that distinction.

Actually, Augusta would have a fight on its hands. Columbus, Ga., his present home, would boast, too.

“They like to argue about it,” Mize said. “I give a political answer when asked about my hometown. I’m tickled to be claimed by anybody.”

It would be nice to report that Mize’s middle name derives from Ben Hogan, but that’s not the case. He was named after his great grandmother.

Mize took a step in his golfing education last week when he played with Fuzzy Zoeller at Pebble Beach.

“It was a good lesson for me,” he said. “I hit a few bad shots and let them affect me too much. Fuzzy just hits the ball and keeps going.

“I also found out you can’t press when it gets real windy. You have to stay steady. If you start leaning into the wind, you will mis-hit some shots.”

For Sills, there haven’t been many errant swings this year.

He tied for second two weeks ago in Phoenix and tied for third last week at Pebble Beach.

“When I make mistakes, they’re not big ones,” he said. “No double or triple bogeys. When I do make a bogey, it seems like I come right back with a birdie on the next hole.”

It would seem that a win is ordained.

Not quite, Sills protested.

“It doesn’t work that way out here,” he said. “Absolutely nothing is preordained. But, as I said, I’m playing great. My only par round this year was last week, and I bogeyed the last hole to do that.”

At this rate, he’s not likely to have to deliver pizza for the foreseeable future.

THE LEADERS AFTER 36 HOLES Larry Mize: 66-68-- 134 Danny Edwards: 66-69-- 135 Bob Tway: 67-68-- 135 Mark Wiebe: 66-70-- 136 Bob Eastwood: 70-66-- 136 John Cook: 70-66-- 136