Jones Just Ambling Through Arizona

Steve Jones won once this year in Arizona by overpowering the field, and he’s halfway to doing it again.

“Anybody that leads a tournament, if you are going to lose it you want to lose it being aggressive,” Jones said after reviving memories of his 11-shot victory at the Phoenix Open with a four-under-par 68 Friday that gave him a three-shot lead at the midpoint of the Tucson Chrysler Classic.

The defending U.S. Open champion’s four-birdie, no-bogey performance in the second round put him at 10-under 134.

Jones birdied all four of the Omni Tucson National’s par fives Thursday and came back in the second round to birdie three of them.

Paul Stankowski, last week’s winner in a playoff in Hawaii, shot a 65 and pulled into a tie for second at 137 with Kirk Triplett and Brad Bryant. Jeff Maggert, the first-round co-leader with Jones, shot 72 and dropped four shots back.

Phil Mickelson, the winner here in 1991, 1995 and 1996, shot his second 71.

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Jim Colbert, the Senior PGA Tour’s player of the year the last two seasons, shot a four-under 68 to join Simon Hobday, Butch Baird and Buddy Allin atop the leaderboard after one round of the American Express Invitational at Sarasota, Fla.

One shot back were Jim Albus, Bob Dickson and Hubert Green.

Allin wasn’t even sure he would be in the field. He was preparing to head for the airport as Tuesday’s 5 p.m. deadline for non-exempt alternate players neared. Five minutes before the deadline, Allin learned a player had withdrawn and he was in the field.

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Annika Sorenstam took advantage of near-perfect conditions in Honolulu to shoot a six-under 66 and take a four-stroke lead after two rounds of the 54-hole Hawaiian Ladies Open.

Sorenstam was at 11-under 133, with defending champion Meg Mallon at 137 after a 68.

“I had perfect yardage for each club,” Sorenstam said of her short game. “I didn’t have an in-between shot. That was the key: good yardage all day long.”

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Michael Muehr, a Nike Tour rookie from Great Falls, Va., shot a five-under 67 for an eight-under 136 total and a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the Inland Empire Open at Moreno Valley Ranch Golf Course.

Sam Randolph of Fort Worth, who also shot a 67, and Michael Allen of Scottsdale, Ariz., were a stroke back at 137.