Sindelar Is Scintillating at BellSouth

Joey Sindelar, mired in a slump that has seen him miss the cut in his six events this year, had a hot putter again Friday and built a one-shot lead halfway through the BellSouth Classic at Duluth, Ga.

His six-under-par 66 gave him a 10-under 134 total after two rounds on the rugged hills of the 7,259-yard TPC Sugarloaf club and the lead over John Huston, who shot 67 for 135.

“It is quite a project out there,” said Sindelar, who has six PGA Tour victories but none since winning the Hardee’s Classic in 1990. “You better be on your toes. You better be either pretty crisp with your game or making a lot of putts because it is a pretty good battle.”

First-round leader Paul Stankowski, who played in the morning, had a 70 and was tied at 136 with Phil Mickelson, who shot 69.

Starting on the back side, Sindelar parred the first four holes before making consecutive birdies from 8 and 15 feet. He missed a 3 1/2-footer for birdie on No. 16.

Sindelar scored from 30 feet on No. 2 and 10 feet on No. 3, then closed his round by getting another birdie on a short putt at No. 7 and his sixth of the day from six feet on the ninth green.

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The horrible weather during the second round of the Tradition didn’t affect Tom Kite and Larry Nelson much.

Both reached eight under par before darkness forced them off the course at Scottsdale, Ariz., after nearly four hours of delays because or rain and lightning. Kite finished 14 holes and Nelson 15.

Nelson, who birdied his final hole in deepening twilight, and Kite were among the 21 players unable to finish.

Of the 53 who did, early starter Jim Ahern was the best for the second day.

But Ahern, who shot seven-under 65 the first round, struggled. He had a double bogey and two bogeys in the first seven holes and carded a 75 for a two-day total of four-under 140 and sole possession of third place.

John Jacobs was two shots behind Ahern, with George Archer, Joe Inman and Ed Dougherty at 143.