Leonard Eases Into Western Lead

Justin Leonard saw the pairings and knew he was going to enjoy the first two rounds of the Western Open at Lemont, Ill.

“I was playing with two of my buddies,” he said, referring to Jeff Sluman and Davis Love III. “I said to my caddie, ‘Remind me to keep score and not to pick my ball up.’ I was real relaxed out there today. It felt like a practice round.”

So relaxed was Leonard on Friday he birdied nine holes, including four of the last five, and shot an eight-under-par 64. His 135 total gives him a two-stroke lead over Michael Bradley (68), Mike Hulbert (68), and Billy Andrade (67).

Tiger Woods also liked his playing partners--neighbor/fishing buddy Mark O’Meara and John Cook--but couldn’t fashion another round like his 67 of Thursday. He shot par 72 and felt fortunate to be only four back.

“I should have been a few under, but it could have been a disaster,” Woods said.

Scott Simpson, with comedian Bill Murray as his caddie, followed his opening 74 with a 67 to get back in contention at three under.

*

Kelly Robbins tied a course record with a seven-under 64 and took a two-stroke lead midway through the Jamie Farr Kroger Classic.

Robbins was at 11-under 131 after two tours of the 6,319-yard Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio, two better than first-round leader Karrie Webb of Australia, who closed her round of 68 with a birdie.

Robbins had seven birdies--three over the final four holes--including a 25-foot putt on the 16th hole and a 35-footer on the par-five 17th after exploding out of a bunker.

“That birdie on 18 was good because I will be in the last group,” Webb said. “The way Kelly’s been playing, I’ll be able to watch her. It’s better to know what you have to do than to see on the leaderboard or hear it from the crowd.”

Webb said she’d also be paying attention to Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez, whose 66 brought her to 134.

“She’s been playing well the last eight months,” Webb said. “She’s definitely in the hunt to win.”

*

Bob Eastwood skipped the Senior U.S. Open and rediscovered his golf game in the first round of the Kroger Senior Classic at Mason, Ohio. David Ojala made a more startling find.

“I don’t want to jinx it,” Ojala said, refusing to disclose his secret after shooting a six-under 65 to tie Eastwood.

Ojala, a provisional qualifier playing in only his eighth tournament in three years, was playing a qualifying round Monday when he learned he would get into the Kroger because Gene Littler had withdrawn.

Jay Sigel and Jimmy Powell were one stroke back, followed at 67 by Al Geiberger, Calvin Peete, Hubert Green and John Schroeder.

Graham Marsh, who won the Open a week ago and the Nationwide Championship the week before that, was in a group at two-under 69. Marsh has a chance to become the first player to win three consecutive events on the senior tour since Lee Trevino in 1992.

*

England’s Lee Westwood made four late birdies to follow his opening six-under 65 with a 69 that gave him a 134 total and a two-stroke lead in the Irish Open at Dublin.

Sweden’s Michael Jonzon broke Westwood’s short-lived record at Druids Glen Golf Club with a 64 and stood at 136, along with Thomas Bjorn (70) of Denmark.