Dent, Hobday Share Lead at GTE Classic

Jim Dent made his day with one shot.

Dent pitched in from the swale for a birdie on the 191-yard, par-three second hole on Friday and rode that momentum into a share of the lead with Simon Hobday in the GTE Classic at Lutz, Fla.

Dent and Hobday shot six-under-par 65s, two strokes better than Terry Dill and Bruce Fleisher.

“It was fun today. You don’t have these fun days all the time,” Dent said. “I hit a great pitch shot on the second, and it turned the whole day around.”

Dent, who resides in the Tampa area and is familiar with the TPC of Tampa Bay course, had a 29 on the front nine.

“I’ve played terrible for the past 2 1/2 years,” Hobday said. “Today I hit the ball like Ben Hogan and putted like Ben Crenshaw. Today was lovely, like finding water in the desert.”

Gary Player was at 71. Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and defending champion Larry Nelson shot 72.

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Betsy King is ready to christen the third phase of her career.

“I’m hoping it’s a rebirth again,” King said after shooting a five-under-par 67 to get to 10-under 134 after two rounds of the Hawaiian Ladies Open at Kapolei.

King is tied with Sally Dee, the day’s final golfer who also shot her second 67.

“I always say I had two careers out here. I didn’t win for the first seven years. . . . Then, all of a sudden, I had a good run for 10 years,” said King, who’s had only one victory since making the Hall of Fame in 1995.

Dee, still seeking her first victory, had a chance for the lead on No. 18, but missed a six-foot birdie putt.

Dee had four birdies against a bogey on the front nine, and added three birdies on the back. Her birdie at No. 17 overcame a bogey at 16.

First round co-leader Sophie Gustafson followed her 65 on Thursday with a 70 on Friday to stand at nine-under 135.