Watson Turns Back Clock With a 65 to Take the Lead : Golf: He is seeking to end 43-tournament drought in majors, win sixth British Open. Faxon and Sweden’s Parnevik are tied for second.

The Tom Watson Time Warp Invitational (a.k.a. the 123rd British Open) advances to its third day with our hero hitting sic-’em shots at the Ailsa Course flagsticks as if it were 1977, not 1994. If he plays any younger, he will have peach fuzz. And if he plays any better, he will be puffing on a victory cigar a few nights from now.

Watson continued to flirt with Open history Friday as he moved into the second-round lead with a near-flawless five-under 65, which gave him a two-day total of 133, one shot ahead of Sweden’s Jesper Parnevik and fellow American Brad Faxon.

“It’s not bad for a 44-year-old has-been, is it?” said Watson, who last won a tour event in 1987 and hasn’t won a major tournament in his last 43 tries.

But this is the British Open, his pride and joy, the tournament he has won five times. If Watson can hold onto the lead, he will tie Harry Vardon’s record for most Open victories.

“I’d like to have an Open championship under my belt,” said Watson, who scored his last major victory in 1983 at Royal Birkdale. “I’d just like to have any championship under my belt.”

At 135 is defending PGA champion Nick Price, followed at 136 by first-round leader Greg Turner, Frank Nobilo, Jonathan Lomas and David Edwards.

In Watson’s favor is this: Of the 21 players on the leader board Friday, only five--Watson, Price, Fuzzy Zoeller, Greg Norman and Ernie Els--have won majors.

“I still feel I can win,” Watson said. “At the beginning of the year, I said it’s not a matter of if I’ll win, but when I’ll win. My prediction hasn’t held true, but maybe it will this week.”

Watson had chances at the last two U.S. Opens, the PGA in 1993, the Players Championship in 1992, the Masters in 1990, the British in 1989, 1987 and 1984.

This time is different. At least, that’s the word from Watson’s support group.

“His putting is great,” said Bruce Edwards, his longtime caddie. “It’s just a matter now of reading the putts. That’s the way it used to be.

“If he can do this for two more days, we can really give it a go.”

If it happens, Watson might want to send a percentage of the winnings to Lee Trevino, who provided the putting tip that mattered.

For the last several years, Trevino has watched his best friend stab at short putts. Together with Watson for six days on a pre-British Open husband-wife trip to Ireland, Trevino half-ordered his friend to change his stroke.

So Watson changed, but it took a while before he became a believer.

Last Saturday night, which happened to be his 21st wedding anniversary, Watson finished dinner with his wife, Linda, and the Trevinos and retired to the hotel putting green, where he practiced for nearly four hours.

“And he was making putts from everywhere,” Trevino said.

Then Wednesday at Turnberry, during a practice round with Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman and Nick Price, Watson sank more putts. And he did so again Thursday, when he shot a first-round 68.

Still, Watson wasn’t completely convinced. Then he talked to Trevino on Thursday evening. Trevino read him the putting riot act.

“Listen, just trust it,” Trevino told him. “What you were doing before wasn’t working.”

The result was a 65. So confident is Watson that when he birdied the 452-yard par-four Friday (driver, wedge, 10-footer), he turned to someone and said, “I’m going to make these bookies quiver now.”

He is. He was 50-1 on Wednesday, 3-1 Friday night.

Parnevik and Faxon had their moments, too. The Swede had a four-under 66 and did it with Jack Nicklaus in his threesome.

Afterward, Nicklaus, whose 145 missed the cut by two strokes, was asked if he had any advice for Parnevik.

“I don’t need to give him any,” he said. “I need some advice from him.”

Faxon, who is making his first appearance at Turnberry, started the day four shots off the lead, but his 65 Friday changed that. Not only will he remember the 65, but he will remember who he shot it with: Gary Player, making his 40th visit to the British.

“I told him that as a kid I putted with four balls, called them Nicklaus, Watson, Player and myself,” Faxon said. “I spent hours putting at night, hoping to beat them.”

Three down, one to go.

But in the one left, Watson, likes his chances. He isn’t the only one.

“Believe me,” said Trevino, who didn’t make the cut, “if he putts likes he’s been putting, you might be looking at a six-time champion.”