Stadler Has More Than One Good Shot

Craig Stadler already had the shot of the tournament. He also earned a share of the lead.

One day after he made the first double eagle of his career, Stadler shot a three-under-par 69 Friday and shared a one-shot lead with Loren Roberts and Robert Allenby after 36 holes of the $2.8 million Houston Open at The Woodlands, Texas.

The trio were at nine-under 135 after two trips around the 7,019-yard course at the TPC at The Woodlands.

“I tried for the first few holes to avoid disaster,” Stadler said. “I just kind of got myself through the front nine. Then, I got more confident with the putting on the backside and coming in was pretty good.”

Stadler had the second double-eagle two on the PGA Tour this year Thursday, holing a three-wood from 245 yards on the 521-yard 15th hole.

Carlos Franco, the first-round co-leader, shot a 71 and was at 136 with Fred Funk, Matt Gogel, Paul Stankowski, Mark Brooks and Scott Hoch.

Hank Kuehne, who shared the first-round lead with Franco, shot a 74 and was at 139.

Stadler had three birdies and three bogeys on the front nine. He managed three good up-and-downs to start the back nine and then settled down. His birdie on the final hole moved him into the tie for the lead.

“I got a good putt on 18 after driving into the fringe rough,” Stadler said. “So it was just kind of a day to get a three-under. It was a pretty good score for the way I played.”

Allenby and Roberts each shot 67 Friday.

Roberts birdied four of his first six holes and overcame bogeys on the first two holes of the back nine.

“I had dinner with Carol Mann the other day,” Roberts said of the LPGA great. “We were kind of talking about a couple of things. I got a little idea and went out yesterday and bingo, it worked today. Pretty good as a matter of fact.”

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Karrie Webb returned from a month-long vacation to put herself in position for another victory on the LPGA Tour.

Despite fading down the stretch, Webb shot a four-under-par 68 in the opening round of the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship and lurked just three shots behind leader Sophie Gustafson at Stockbridge, Ga.

Gustafson, seeking her first victory as she plays her second full season on the tour, finished with an eagle at the 18th to hold a two-shot lead over Val Skinner and Amy Fruhwirth. Webb, who has won four titles and finished second in her other tournament in 2000, was tied at 68 with Michelle McGann.

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Defending champion Larry Nelson made a 12-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole to cap a six-under 66 and take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Bruno’s Memorial Classic at Hoover, Ala.

Nelson, who won last week’s Senior PGA Tour event in Las Vegas, got close on 18 with a three-wood from about 250 yards out. The gallery roared as he successfully negotiated a pesky, sloping green and vaulted over six players into the lead.

Nelson, who has played eight straight subpar rounds, also had birdies on the 16th and 17th. At 17, he sank a 45-foot putt. He had only one bogey, the par-four 12th.

“It was just kind of ho-hum until I got to 16, 17 and 18,” Nelson said. “I went from two under to six under in three holes.”

George Archer, Bob Eastwood, Joe Inman, Mike McCullough, Gil Morgan and Dana Quigley all shot 67 to sit one stroke back.