Players Prize Is Up for Grabs

No lead pack ever developed at the $4-million Players Championship on Friday at Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. No one solved the hard and fast Stadium Course well enough to separate from the field.

And although it would be wrong to say that nearly anyone could win, there were enough big names in contention after the second round to make the race for the $720,000 first prize--the largest on the PGA Tour--very interesting.

Lee Janzen, who hasn’t won on the PGA Tour in nearly three years, and Joe Ozaki, who has never won in the United States, shared the lead at 137, seven under par.

But three dozen players were within half a dozen strokes of the lead, among them Tom Kite, Fred Couples, John Daly, Ernie Els, Tom Lehman and Nick Price.

“I think everybody is starting from scratch,” Els said. “I think anybody who can get to double figures [under par] can win this golf tournament. And if the wind blows, I don’t think you even need to get to double figures to win.”

Tiger Woods sprayed his drives, was erratic with the putter as well, hit the water on the island-green 17th hole and shot a 73 that left him at 145, eight strokes behind. No big deal to him.

“Anybody who makes the cut can win,” Woods said.

Kite had the best round of the day, a 66, and was one stroke back at 138. First-round leader Glen Day, Jerry Kelly and Bruce Lietzke were at 139.

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Mike McCullough shot a five-under 67 for a one-stroke lead in the first round of the $1-million Southwestern Bell Dominion PGA Senior Tour tournament at San Antonio.

McCullough, 53, had eight birdies on the par-72, 6,814-yard course.

“I played well, but I hit some bad iron shots,” said McCullough, who had three bogeys.

McCullough, ranked 24th on the senior money list this year, had his best finish two weeks ago at the Toshiba Senior Classic when he wound up in a tie for third.

Five golfers were a stroke off the lead at 68--John Schroeder, Dave Eichelberger, John Paul Cain, James Barker and Frank Conner.

At 69 were David Lundstrom, Jim Colbert and Lee Trevino, who won the event in 1991 and 1992. Defending champion David Graham, shot a 76.

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A U.S. District Court judge in Ponte Vedra Beach denied a request for an injunction in a $9-million antitrust suit claiming that the Senior PGA Tour and its sponsors conspired to limit tournament fields to only big-name players.

U.S. District Judge David F. Levi said Harry Toscano hadn’t proved that his case would likely succeed on its merits. Levi also said the changes proposed by Toscano would cause the tour added expenses while potentially hurting revenue.

Toscano, who has earned $800,000 on the senior tour since 1992, wanted tournament fields expanded from 78 to 112 players and a cut that reduces the field to the top players instituted after two rounds.

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John Wilson shot a seven-under-par 65 for a 138 total and a three-stroke lead after the second round of the Nike Louisiana Open at Broussard, La.

Casey Martin, making his third start since a federal court ruled he can use a cart in competition, had a 73 and failed to make the cut at 151.