Sutton, Sindelar Repeat Themselves

Hal Sutton and Joey Sindelar shot four-under-par 68s Friday for the second consecutive day and shared the midway lead in the Houston Open at 136.

Jeff Gallagher, making the cut for only the fourth time in 13 events this year, had a three-under 69 and was a shot back. Omar Uresti, Mark Wiebe and Australian Stuart Appleby were at six-under 138 after two rounds.

David Duval, the world’s top-ranked player, a four-time winner this year and the event’s defending champion, was in a group at 139 after shooting 70.

Duval flirted with the lead, getting to seven-under after 14 holes before taking a seven on the par-5 No. 15 when his drive went out of bounds and ended up in the yard of a home bordering the Tournament Players Course at The Woodlands. He parred the last three holes.

Sutton, a two-time winner last year whose best showings this year are a pair of fourths, had six birdies and two bogeys.

“I drove the ball really well,” he said. “That helped, being in the middle of the fairway.”

Sutton was in an early group that played before a swirling wind and 80-degree-plus heat made the course more treacherous.

Playing the back nine first, he got off to a rocky start, landing in a bunker at the par-four No. 10, then missing an eight-foot par putt. He bounced back with a birdie at No. 11.

“That aggravated me a little bit,” Sutton said of the opening-hole stumble. “Then I hit a real good shot in on 11 to make birdie. To back that bogey up with that birdie right behind it kind of made me feel a little bit better.”

More birdies followed at Nos. 13, 15 and 17 and hole No. 1 before a bad iron shot at the par-four second hole left him short and set up his other bogey of the round.

“It seems like it was harder to get to the hole today, but my game has been good,” said Sutton, seeking his 11th victory.

Sindelar, with six victories but none since 1990, started on the back side as the course dried in the afternoon.

“The greens being that fried changed the entire complexion,” he said.

But the consecutive 68s guaranteed the 41-year-old from Horseheads, N.Y., would make the cut for the first time in three weeks.

*

Bob Duval sloshed through damp, blustery fairways to shoot a five-under 67 for the first-round lead in the Bruno’s Memorial Classic at Hoover, Ala.

While other Senior PGA Tour players were trying to figure out which of their long irons to use in the stiff wind, Duval birdied three of the last nine holes, including No. 18, on the way to a bogey-free round.

“It was a pretty easy round,” Duval said. “I’m from Florida. I hope the wind blows.”

Joe Inman birdied three of the last four holes, joining Tommy Aaron, Larry Ziegler, Walter Hall and Mike Hill at three under.

Vincente Fernandez, Jay Sigel, Larry Nelson and Graham Marsh were three shots behind Duval.

At one under were Jim Ahern, Joe Maria Canizares, Dave Eichelberger, Simon Hobday, Bruce Summerhays, Gil Morgan, Tom Shaw and Bob Murphy.

*

About an inch of overnight rain and the threat of more throughout the day led the LPGA to cancel the second round of the City of Hope Myrtle Beach Classic at Murrells Inlet, S.C., and shorten the tournament to 54 holes.

Juli Inkster and Amy Benz lead six others by one shot at four-under 68.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

In Front

Leaders through Friday’s play (Complete scores, Page 11):

HOUSTON OPEN--PAR 72

Hal Sutton: 68-68--136 -8

Joey Sindelar: 68-68--136 -8

Jeff Gallagher: 68-69--137 -7

Omar Uresti: 67-71--138 -6

Mark Wiebe: 69-69--138 -6

Stuart Appleby: 70-68--138 -6

MEMORIAL CLASSIC--PAR 72

Bob Duval: 34-33--67 -5

Tommy Aaron: 35-34--69 -3

Joe Inman: 36-33--69 -3

Larry Ziegler: 33-36--69 -3

Mike Hill: 35-34--69 -3

Walter Hall: 34-35--69 -3

Vicente Fernandez: 35-35--70 -2

Jay Sigel: 34-36--70 -2

Graham Marsh: 34-36--70 -2

Larry Nelson: 36-34--70 -2