Beem Keeps His Balance and Increases His Lead

Rookie Rich Beem, proving he’s more than a one-day wonder, shot an up-and-down round of four-under-par 67 Friday to extend his lead at the midway point of the Kemper Open at Potomac, Md.

Beem made a 55-foot putt and landed an approach within two inches for consecutive birdies, then almost threw it away when he clipped a tree on No. 6 and three-putted the one after for double-bogey.

But Beem added five more birdies--and another bogey--before the round at the TPC at Avenel was done to give him a nine-under 133 total, three strokes ahead of Bradley Hughes, Tommy Armour III and Dave Stockton Jr.

Stockton had a second-round 66. Hughes and Armour both had 68s.

Two-time Kemper Open champion Bill Glasson, who had a 70, and Jim Carter, 69, were another stroke back.

Like Beem, the others on the leaderboard are surprises.

Armour’s only PGA Tour victory came nine years ago. Stockton engages in a yearly struggle just to stay on the tour. Hughes’ only victories have come in Australia.

Glasson won this tournament in 1985 and 1992, but a run of injuries has hampered his game.

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Jean Bartholomew’s caddie gave her an alarm clock as a birthday present before the Corning Classic at Corning, N.Y. Great gift idea.

Bartholomew hit the back nine at 8:40 a.m. Friday, six strokes behind the leaders. By noon she had the lead, thanks to an eight-under 64 that left her at seven-under 137 for two rounds, and nobody caught her.

“Oversleeping is something you do only once in your career,” said Bartholomew, whose caddie, Jeff de Coen, got the message across.

Bartholomew had overslept and missed her flight to Daytona Beach, Fla., for the start of the Titleholders Championship on May 6-9.

Kelli Kuehne birdied the 18th hole for a 69 and was tied for second at 138 with Jamie Hullett, who grew up playing against Kuehne in Texas. Hullett shot a 66.

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Brian Barnes shot a seven-under 65 and held a one-stroke lead over Tommy Aaron, David Lundstrom and Jim Dent after the opening round of the Boone Valley Classic at Augusta, Mo.

Barnes had eight birdies in his round on the 6,731-yard Boone Valley course. His only bogey came on No. 2 when he three-putted.

“If you get on the wrong side of some of these holes, you have to think about two-putting instead of knocking it in for a birdie,” Barnes said.