Sutton Shoots 64 for Five-Stroke Lead

Hal Sutton missed a four-foot par putt on the first hole Friday when his ball hit a spike mark. Little else went wrong.

Sutton, the U.S. Ryder Cup star who won the Players Championship last month, overcame 25-mph gusts for a masterful eight-under-par 64 to take a five-stroke lead after the second round of the Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic at Greensboro, N.C.

Sutton had 11 birdies and three bogeys en route to his low round of the season. He birdied all of the par threes and par fives at Forest Oaks Country Club to finish at 13-under 131.

“The hard part about playing golf well is knowing when to hit the accelerator and when to hit the brake,” Sutton said of his club selection during a windy day. “That’s got to change, not round to round, but shot to shot.

“That’s something I’ve been working hard on this year, being able to identify that prior to the shot rather than after the shot. I got tired of saying, ‘Well, I wish I would have played a little bit more conservative there or I wish I would have been a little bit more aggressive.’ That’s why I’m here.”

Sutton needed only 24 putts on the speedy greens, including birdie putts of 35 and 50 feet in carding a five-under 31 over his final nine holes.

“He was almost looking like I did last year,” said defending champion and playing partner Jesper Parnevik. “He holed some monster putts. It was fun to watch. Any time anyone shoots 64 it’s fun.”

Sutton’s closest competition is Barry Cheesman, who has never won on the PGA Tour but moved into contention with a 66 and is at eight-under 136.

Seven other players are tied for third at 138, seven shots behind Sutton.

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Doug Tewell, coming off a victory Monday in the PGA Seniors’ Championship, shot a seven-under 65 for a share of the first-round lead in the Las Vegas Senior Classic.

“I was concerned about my intensity,” he said. “It was tough to block out all the accolades and get focused.”

Bob Murphy also opened with a 65 on the Tournament Players Club at Summerlin. Bruce Fleisher, a two-time winner this year who led the tour with seven victories last season, was a stroke back.