Birdie Binge Gives Woods Quad City Lead

Tiger Woods, playing his third golf tournament as a professional, had six consecutive birdies in a blistering six-under-par 64 Friday to take the midway lead in the Quad City Classic at Coal Valley, Ill.

Woods had a seven-under 133 total on the Oakwood Country Club course for a one-stroke advantage over Ed Fiori.

A gallery of more than 5,000 followed Woods on the cool, breezy day. Fans applauded his every shot and kids pleaded for autographs as he walked by. He acknowledged it all with a nod and wave of his club.

“A lot of people have come out,” he said. “It’s nice they support me, but I have to take care of business. That’s why I keep my head down.”

The former Stanford star used his birdie string to take a three-shot lead at eight under, but dropped a stroke with a bogey on the final hole. He used a three-wood to hole a 50-foot shot just off the green for a birdie on No. 4.

Woods, who had nine birdies and three bogeys for the best round of the tournament, said the number 13 proved lucky for him.

“We pulled into the motel last night and parked in space No. 13. Then on Friday the 13th, I play well,” he said.

Fiori, who has three PGA Tour victories, shot a 68, with three birdies and a bogey.

Jeff Maggert and Joel Edwards were two behind at 135. Maggert shot a 68 and Edwards a 67.

The winner will receive $216,000 from the $1.2-million purse.

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The U.S. team took a 7 1/2-2 1/2 lead over the international team on the first day of Presidents Cup matches at Gainesville, Va.

In the first competition two years ago, the United States led by the same score and wound up winning, 20-12.

“We’re in trouble,” international captain Peter Thomson said. “I admit that, and all our guys do. We’re going to try to turn things around.”

Bolstered by the presence of Greg Norman, Ernie Els and Jumbo Ozaki--players absent from the 1994 team--the international team was primed for victory.

But that optimism took an immediate blow when the pairing of Norman and Robert Allenby--deemed invincible by Thomson--lost, 2 and 1, to Fred Couples and Davis Love III.

That kicked off a 4-1 romp by the Americans in the morning four-ball matches and snowballed into a 3 1/2-1 1/2 score in afternoon alternate-shot play, when Norman and Allenby again lost to Couples and Love.

The only match the international side was able to win in the morning better-ball play was a 2-up victory by Els and Mark McNulty over Scott Hoch and Mark Brooks.

Asked if his players were overconfident, U.S. captain Arnold Palmer said, “I give them credit for being smarter than that. All they need to do is miss a putt or make a mistake and the match can turn.”

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Jim Wilkinson used a hot start on a cool day at Lexington, Ky., finished with a six-under-par 66 on the Kearney Hill Links course and took a one-shot lead in the Bank One Classic on the Senior PGA Tour.

Isao Aoki, the 1994 Bank One champion and No. 2 on this year’s money list with $1.01 million, was second at 67.

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Tammie Green had a hole in one and an eagle in an eight-under 64 to take the second-round lead in the Safeco Classic at Kent, Wash.

Green, a four-time winner in 10 seasons on the LPGA Tour, had a nine-under 135 total on the Meridian Valley course. Defending champion Patty Sheehan was two behind, along with Val Skinner, Sharon Barrett and Australia’s Karrie Webb.

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Canada’s Gayle Borthwick survived a six-over 78 in the final round for a one-stroke victory in the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur at Seattle.

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Leader of the Pack

A look at Tiger Woods’ round that gave him the lead after 36 holes of the Quad City Classic:

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Hole Par Woods 1 4 4 2 4 5** 3 4 3* 4 4 3* 5 3 2* 6 5 4* 7 4 3* 8 3 2* 9 4 5** Out 35 31 10 5 4* 11 4 4 12 3 3 13 4 4 14 4 4 15 4 4 16 4 5** 17 3 2* 18 4 3* In 35 33 Total 70 64

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* Birdie ** Bogey