Unknowns Unerring at the Open : Golf: Ex-champions Steve Pate, Dan Forsman share the lead at 12-under.

By T.J. SIMERS

Feb. 16, 1991 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

SAN DIEGO —

Torrey Pines has always been considered a hacker’s delight.

Nestled against the Pacific Ocean, the 36-hole municipal course has afforded everyday golfers the opportunity to play in a country club setting.

This week, it has become a friendly haven for also-rans on the PGA Tour.

The last time Steve Pate won on the PGA Tour, it was here in 1988, and here he is again, tied with Dan Forsman at 12-under-par 132 for the second-round lead of the Shearson Lehman Brothers Open.

The last time anyone heard from Dan Forsman was last year at this time, when he ended a four-year drought by winning this tournament.

In his first three outings this year, he missed the cut, but on Torrey Pines’ North course Friday he posted an eight-under 64 to go along with an impressive first-round 68 on the South course.

“I don’t know, it’s interesting,” Forsman said when asked to explain why Torrey Pines has treated some players so favorably. “I’m pleased with the fact I’ve won on a municipal golf course. I’ve always felt like municipal golf is grass-roots golf. If you can perform out here, you can perform anywhere.”

Tell that to Brad Faxon. He seemingly can’t find success anywhere but here.

“I hit every green today and I don’t know if I’ve ever done that before,” Faxon said. “I’ve probably played better at this tournament over the years than any other tournament. This is definitely the best round this year for me, and the best score I’ve shot in a long time.”

Faxon, who shot a 64 and is one shot off the lead along with Ben Crenshaw, Emlyn Aubrey and Bill Sander, has spent many a night elsewhere thinking only about being here.

“I definitely want to play here every year,” Faxon said. “The last few nights I’ve been thinking of the great things that have happened to me here.”

He’s been on the tour since 1984, and while he’s been unable to win anywhere, he had a chance here. He was the tournament’s third-round leader in 1988 before finishing in a fifth-place tie, and in 1989 he tied for second.

“A few years ago I played with Tom Watson here and I eagled the last hole,” Faxon said. “I think I’ve watched the replay of that a hundred times. I don’t know why, but it’s a course that’s really fun to play.”

It’s apparently short-lived fun. As someone pointed out Friday, five of the last six players to win the Shearson Lehman Brothers Open have since failed to win another tournament.

“I would love to defend the title,” Forsman said. “For me that is extremely high (motivation).”

Forsman, who was paired with Pate for the first two rounds and who will be playing with him again today, dropped a “42-foot birdie putt” to go 12 under on his 17th hole. After the gallery finished clapping, Pate stepped up and sank a 40-foot birdie putt to go 11-under.

“I got a little help from (watching) Dan’s putt,” Pate said.

Pate then went on to birdie No. 18 to pull even with Forsman for the lead.

“I rerouted my backswing about eight inches this week,” Pate said. “That’s quite a change. I looked at some pictures and it was pretty ugly.

“In the first round, Dan was driving 25 yards by me, and I today I was within 10 or 15 yards of him. . . . I hit the ball quite a bit more solid, but I also made three putts over 30 feet.”

Like Pate, Aubrey has worked on his game. It took four attempts for Aubrey before he successfully made it through the PGA Tour Qualifying School in 1989. Last year he worried about losing his tour exemption after missing the cut in four of his first five tournaments.

But Friday, Aubrey’s name was in lights on the leader board. He took the day’s low-round honor with a 63 on the North course, and now he’s in position to win his first tournament.

“That’s the best round I’ve ever shot in my life,” Aubrey said.

And so it has gone at Torrey Pines. Jay Don Blake was so disgusted with the way he was playing before his arrival, that he pitched his putter into a lake Monday. But now he’s two shots off the lead with Robert Wrenn, Keith Clearwater and John Daly.

“I had that putter since high school,” Blake said after shooting a 65 on the North course. “But I had to get rid of it because I was so frustrated.”

A frustrated Sander, who was two over after the first eight holes Thursday, has come to embrace Torrey Pines.

“I felt like I better make plane reservations,” Sander said, “but I caught a break with the fog. I had a chance to stop and in effect start over.”

Sander has played the last 28 holes of golf in 13 under. His 65 was the South course’s low score of the day, and included six birdies in a row.

“It was a great day,” said Sander, who tied for sixth here in 1987. “I chipped in for a birdie on the first hole and that set the tone for the day. I only missed two greens. I wish more days could be like this.”

Crenshaw, who had a one-stroke lead after the opening round, dropped a pair of 40-foot putts to contribute to his second-day 68.

“I had a nice round; no bogeys,” he said. “It was a steady day. I had a lot of chances and feel as if I left something out there. But you don’t expect to make 40-footers either.”

Amateur Phil Mickelson, who was in a match race with Crenshaw earlier Friday for the lead, ran into trouble when his game went asunder on the 14th hole on the South course. Mickelson’s drive went into the canyon, and as a result, he fell from eight to six under.

He nearly dropped out of sight with bogeys on Nos. 15 and 16.

“He made the cut,” said Tom Morgan, the tournament’s executive director, “and before the tournament began that’s what we were hoping would happen. Look at those galleries he’s been playing before; that’s a lot of pressure, no matter how old you are.”

Mickelson shot a 74 on the South course for a two-day total of 140. With the cut coming at 140, he joins 70 players for the final two rounds.

Corey Pavin, who edged Mark O’Meara in a playoff for the Bob Hope Classic last week, finished at 135 along with Jim Thorpe, who posted a 64 on the North course. Former San Diego-area residents Scott Simpson and Lon Hinkle remain in contention at 136, along with Trevor Dodds and Nick Price.

Thirty-four golfers remain within five shots of the co-leaders, and in the final two rounds, competition will be confined to the South course.

“If the weather stays like this,” Pate said, “You better keep shooting low. Maybe 20 under.”

TEE TIMES SHEARSON LEHMAN BROTHERS OPEN

Today at Torrey Pines South

NO. 1 TEE

8:36 a.m.--Dan Pohl, Lennie Clements, Donnie Hammond

8:45--Tom Byrum, Curt Byrum, Fred Couples

8:54--Duffy Waldorf, Dudley Hart, John Adams

9:03--D.A. Weibring, Leonard Thompson, Andy Bean

9:12--Jim Hallet, John Huston, Steve Jones

9:21--Neal Lancaster, Rick Fehr, Jeff Sluman

9:30--Trevor Dodds, Mike Standly, Bart Bryant