GOLF ROUNDUP : Suddenly Steady Norman One Shot Off Lead

Greg Norman missed one green in 31 holes Friday and pronounced himself ready to end a two-year streak without a victory.

Norman was one stroke off the lead with half the field still out in the storm-delayed Western Open at Lemont, Ill.

And he was delighted.

“I don’t care if I’m four behind when the day’s over,” Norman said after shooting rounds of 68 and 69 that left him one stroke behind Duffy Waldorf after two rounds. “I know I’m playing extremely well. That’s the important thing. I know I’m playing well enough to win.”

Norman was among the 78 players who had to dash for shelter Thursday when a storm struck.

Golfers came back shortly after dawn, completed the first round and then played the second. The delay in the start of the second round made it impossible to complete play before darkness, and 18 players were left on the course.

Waldorf, runner-up in the Buick Classic in New York last weekend, shot two 68s over the Dubsdread course at Cog Hill.

Norman was tied with fellow Australian Ian Baker-Finch, the British Open champion, first-round leader Blaine McCallister and Dicky Thompson.

Don January and J.C. Snead shot 65s to share the first-round lead in the Kroger Senior Classic at Mason, Ohio.

Overnight rain softened the greens and helped 32 of the 78 pros beat par over the 6,628-yard course.

Ben Smith, Gibby Gilbert and Larry Ziegler were one shot behind the leaders. George Archer and Bobby Nichols were two strokes back.

Defending champion Al Geiberger had a two-under-par 69, and Senior Tour money leader Lee Trevino shot a 70 and Arnold Palmer 72.

Vicki Fergon made six consecutive birdies during a round of six-under-par 65 that gave her a two-stroke lead over Janice Gibson and Kris Tschetter in the LPGA Jamie Farr Toledo Classic.

Fergon opened the tournament with a bogey on the first hole, then went on a birdie binge that allowed her to make the turn at five-under-par 29. She added another birdie on the back nine.