Woods Has Monster Round With a 61 and 7-Shot Lead

The 16th hole at Firestone Country Club is called “The Monster,” mostly because it’s 625 yards long.

Until Friday, only three players--Arnold Palmer, Raymond Floyd and John Daly--had reached the green in two shots.

Now there are four.

Actually, Tiger Woods’s 269-yard two-iron sailed over the green during the second round of the NEC Invitational at Akron, Ohio. No problem. He merely lipped out his chip and tapped in his putt for a birdie en route to a 61 and a two-round total of 15-under-par 125.

No PGA Tour player has used fewer shots to play 36 holes.

Phil Mickelson is seven shots behind Woods, who has never had a greater edge on the field after two rounds.

“Phenomenal,” said Colin Montgomerie, who shot a 69 Friday and is at even-par 140 in this tournament for members of the U.S. Ryder Cup team, Presidents Cup team and the top 12 Europeans from the European tour money list.

“I can only see that gap widening.”

Woods has had at least a share of the lead in his last six rounds, and 16 of his last 25 dating to the second round of the Memorial. It also was his 29th consecutive round at par or better, the longest streak since the PGA Tour began keeping such statistics in 1980.

When will it end?

“I really don’t feel it is a streak,” Woods said. “I feel like I’m just playing well. I think if I work hard and have a lot of patience and manage my game well, I can play this game at a high level for a long period of time.”

Even his opponents have come to expect it.

“He’s been playing so well, it’s not like we’re in shock,” said Jim Furyk, who played with Woods on Friday.

Mickelson finished one stroke behind Woods in the NEC Invitational last year. And while Woods appears invincible this week, Mickelson wasn’t about to declare the tournament over.

“A little disappointing you would even bring that up,” said Mickelson, who had a 66. “One of my thought processes was, ‘Listen, if I can make some birdies, I can get in the final group.’ I think there’s some real benefits to that.”

Justin Leonard had a 67 and was at 133, while Furyk had a 69 and was another stroke back.

*

Karrie Webb, widely considered the LPGA’s answer to Woods, showed why with an 11-under 61 that left her at 17-under 127 through 36 holes of the Oldsmobile Classic at East Lansing, Mich.

It’s a two-round LPGA record.

The old record was 16 under, set last year by Michelle McGann at Old Hickory, Tenn.

Webb eagled No. 6 at the 6,241-yard Walnut Hills Country Club and twice missed eight-foot birdie putts. She has a three-stroke lead over Meg Mallon.

*

Brian Henninger, who ranks 103rd on the PGA Tour money list this year, matched the course record with a nine-under 63 to take a one-stroke lead over Peter Jacobsen and Steve Flesch in the second round of the Reno-Tahoe Open.

Henninger’s bogey-free round included nine birdies, eight of those putts from eight feet or closer. He had a 10-under 134 total over the 7,552-yard Montreux Golf and Country Club.

*

Harold Henning, Simon Hobday and Larry Nelson had five-under 67s to share the first-round lead of the PGA Senior Tour FleetBoston Classic at Concord, Mass.

Five players were one shot back at 68--Jim Albus, Walter Hall, Tom Kite, Chuck Moran and Howard Twitty--and seven are at 69.

*

Luke Donald of Northwestern won the showdown of college golf’s top players, closing with birdies on two of the last four holes to beat Bryce Molder of Georgia Tech, 1-up, in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur at Springfield, N.J.

David Eger, 48 and looking to become the oldest winner of the tournament, Jeff Quinney and James Driscoll also advanced to the final four.