Woods Has Share of Lead After Two Rounds

Despite another ho-hum 66 that gave him a share of the lead Friday in the National Car Rental Classic at Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Tiger Woods considered the optimal scoring conditions and said anything could happen over the weekend.

The trick is to convince everyone else of that.

Woods continued to show peak form after a three-week layoff with a variety of shots that carried him into a tie for the lead after two rounds with Jim Carter and Bob Tway.

“I don’t like losing, whether it’s a non-major, a World Golf Championship, overseas or here in the States, it doesn’t matter,” Woods said. “I want to win. I tee it up with that intent.”

Tway, who has to win this week to qualify for the Tour Championship, and Carter each had a seven-under 65 and were tied with Woods at 12-under 132. Because Carter and Tway finished their rounds first, they will be in the final pairing on Saturday.

Woods will be paired with Ernie Els, who had a 65 and was one stroke behind.

A victory Sunday would make Woods the first player since Tom Watson in 1980 to win six times on the PGA Tour in a season.

Rocco Mediate, who outplayed Woods in the final round to win the Phoenix Open in February, had a 68 and was at 133, while Ryder Cup star Hal Sutton (66) was among five players at 134.

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Bruce Fleisher, the Senior PGA Tour’s leading money winner, shot a six-under 65 and held a one-stroke lead over earnings runner-up Hale Irwin after the first round of the $1-million Kaanapali Classic at Kaanapali, Hawaii.

Tied for third at 67 were 1994 champion Bob Murphy and Brian Barnes. Jim Colbert, who won here in 1991, and Steve Veriato, a Monday qualifier, were at 68.

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Jeff Gove and Bob Heintz remained tied for the lead at eight-under 136 after two rounds of the Nike Tour Championship at Dothan, Ala.

Casey Martin, fighting for his PGA Tour card, had a 71 and was eight strokes off the pace at 144, tied for 16th with five others.

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Two-time U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange has been selected as the next captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup team that will try to retain the cup in 2001 at The Belfry in England, a source familiar with the appointment said Friday.

PGA of America spokesman Julius Mason would not comment on the next captain, but said an announcement would be made Monday.