Edwards Has Lead, and Worst Is Over

After mastering Starr Pass, the dark side of the Nortel Open, Joel Edwards was looking forward to playing Tucson National.

The greens had something to do with it.

Take his 30-foot putt Friday for a birdie on No. 14.

“I knew I was going to make it before I hit it,” Edwards said about the longest of the seven birdie putts that helped him to a one-shot lead halfway through the tournament.

The putt on No. 14 gleaned the second of three birdies in a row for Edwards, who finished at five-under-par 67 for a two-day total of nine-under 134.

David Toms and defending champion Phil Mickelson were one stroke behind. Bob Estes and Jim Gallagher Jr. were two shots behind at 136.

All five had played at Starr Pass on Thursday, when Edwards’ 67 was the best score on the par-71, 6,942-yard layout.

*

Sweden’s Liselotte Neumann shot a Tournament of Champions record six-under-par 66 at Orlando, Fla., taking a nine-stroke lead after the second round of the LPGA’s season-opening event.

Neumann, playing after a six-week layoff, has an 11-under-par 133 through 36 holes. Martha Nause, who began the day one stroke behind, shot a two-over-par 74 Friday and is in second place at two-under 142.