Lickliter Shares Lead With Calcavecchia

Frank Lickliter doesn’t have to worry about making the cut this week. He has a share of the lead in the inaugural Pennsylvania Classic at Paoli, Pa.

Lickliter, who missed the cut in his last three PGA tournaments, shot a four-under-par 67 Friday to match Mark Calcavecchia at eight-under 134. Calcavecchia, seeking his first victory of the year, had a 66.

“Basically just made one error, and that was at the very first hole yesterday,” said Lickliter, who shot his second straight bogey-free round.

The first PGA Tour event in Pennsylvania in 20 years could become the first tour victory for Lickliter, who finished second to Payne Stewart in the 1999 Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Lickliter teed off in the morning and took advantage of the soft conditions following overnight thunderstorms. He was off the course well before the afternoon wind could affect his game.

“As long as it keeps blowing, it might be somewhat of an advantage,” Lickliter said. “I can’t tell you how great the greens are here. The golf course is in such wonderful shape. The fairways are just perfect. And the greens are actually perfect too.”

Calcavecchia, the 1989 British Open winner and three-time Ryder Cup member, adds a familiar name atop the leaderboard in a tournament missing many of the tour’s big names. None of the top seven money leaders are competing.

“The main difference was my driver was a lot better,” Calcavecchia said. “It was not easy out there. The wind was blowing pretty hard, especially on the first nine holes.”

Calcavecchia was second in the Greater Hartford Open and has seven top-10 finishes this year.

“I’ve had a lot of second-place finishes in my career,” Calcavecchia said. “I don’t know if it’s bad luck or what. Second is OK, but it’s not first. I’ve bounced back from those things.”

Steve Pate (66) and Chris DiMarco (67) were a stroke behind at 134. Jim Carter shot a course-record 64 to join Australia’s Mathew Goggin (65) and Emlyn Aubrey (71) at 136. Aubrey, the co-leader after the first round, double-bogeyed his final hole--No. 9.

Among those missing the cut were Jim Furyk, John Daly, Casey Martin, Bob May and Lee Janzen.

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Defending champion Gil Morgan, coming off a victory last week in Indianapolis, shot a four-under 66 in windy conditions to share the lead with four others in the Kroger Senior Classic at Mason, Ohio.

Hubert Green, Jim Thorpe, Fred Gibson and Mike McCullough also opened with 66s.

Larry Nelson, who shot a 58 in the pro-am round Thursday, shot a 70 to end his streak of 20 sub-par rounds.

Bruce Fleisher, the 1999 senior player of the year who leads the money list with $2,085,406, shot a 71. Three-time U.S. Open winner Hale Irwin shot a 72.

Morgan won the rain-shortened Comfort Classic last week in Indianapolis for his third victory of the year and 18th in five seasons on the Senior PGA Tour.

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Nick O’Hern of Australia took a one-shot lead halfway through the $1.2 million Lancome Trophy at Saint-Nom-La-Breteche, France, as overnight leader Roger Wessels missed the cut by going from an opening 63 to an 81.