GOLF / PGA AT SAN DIEGO : Second 65 Puts Toms in Charge by Three

David Toms had his second seven-under-par round at Torrey Pines to take a three-shot lead at the halfway point of the Buick Invitational.

Nothing seemed to faze the 27-year-old player from Bossier City, La., who shot a 65 on the tougher South Course Thursday and followed with another 65 on the North Course Friday for a 130 total.

Ronnie Black, one of the leaders after the first round, played the courses in reverse order and followed his 65 with a 68, slipping into a tie for second with Mark Wurtz.

Toms was 14 under par for the tournament after his 13th hole of the day, but settled for pars down the stretch.

“I missed five-foot birdie putts on two of the last three holes,” he said. “And I thought I hit a perfect approach shot on my 17th hole (the eighth), but it went a little long. That was probably adrenaline. I’ll need to control that.”

He hesitated.

“It would have been nice to sneak those putts in,” he said.

Dave Barr, the veteran who played the first two rounds with Toms, said: “I think that last putt was the only one he missed in two days. A couple of times today, he got in trouble and missed greens, but he got up and down for his pars.”

If Toms felt badly about missing two five-foot putts, imagine how Kirk Triplett felt. He shot a 63 on the North Course to move into a tie for fourth place at 134 with Craig Stadler, Brad Faxon and Tom Byrum--in spite of missing two 18-inch putts.

Toms, who tied Bob Eastwood’s four-year-old 36-hole tournament record, is looking for his first victory in three-plus years on the tour.

“I don’t think I’ve been 14 under after two rounds on the tour (before),” he said. “My overall performance hasn’t been that great, but I think I’m a better player than I’ve shown. Maybe this will be the week that I break out.”

Toms played the first four holes in par Friday and then had seven birdies over the middle nine holes of his round. He put himself into position and made his putts when he had the opportunity, most of them from 10 to 15 feet, but one from 30.

One of the pivotal holes of the first two days for Toms was the 14th on the South Course Thursday. His drive nestled against a root, leaving him a blind and almost impossible shot to the green. He got his par.

“I didn’t know what was going to happen when I swung,” Toms said, “and I couldn’t even see where it went after I hit it. It rolled up on the green and I got the par.”

The North Course figured to be easier. And, in a sense, it was.

“I didn’t hit the ball as well today as I did yesterday,” Toms said. “I just made some putts.”

Stadler, 40, of San Diego, who has played hundreds of rounds at Torrey Pines, did the same thing Toms did. He went from the South to the North and matched his score, in Stadler’s case two 67s.

“I played a lot better yesterday than I did today,” Stadler said. “If you keep the ball reasonably in play on the North, you should shoot three or four or five under. I scraped around and made a couple of birdies and ended up with a 67 that felt like a 72 or 73.”