Texas Buddies Top Memorial

Justin Leonard and Harrison Frazar, roommates their freshmen year at the University of Texas and best friends ever since, were atop the Memorial leaderboard heading into a suddenly soggy weekend at Dublin, Ohio.

And Tiger Woods was nowhere near them.

Leonard surged to a one-stroke lead Friday with an eagle and a tap-in birdie on consecutive holes late in his round for a seven-under-par 65, his best score in 27 trips around Muirfield Village, and a 10-under 134 total.

Frazar also had a 65 and finished one stroke behind, a rare occasion when the Texas-Exes get to play together on the PGA Tour--in contention, no less.

“We can’t get too friendly out there and forget what we’re trying to do,” Leonard said.

It’s still too early to forget about Woods.

Trying to become the first player in 75 years to win the same tournament four years in a row, Woods finally got a putt to fall on the final hole for a 70, leaving him 10 strokes behind.

“I need to shoot something in the mid-60s tomorrow and see where I stand,” Woods said. “The golf course is soft and we got some rain coming in. It might be possible.”

Anything seems possible in this Memorial, especially considering 62-year-old tournament host Jack Nicklaus is still playing.

Nicklaus was in a tie for ninth at one point Friday until a mid-round collapse. Still, the Olden Bear had a 74 and made the cut for the first time in two years on the PGA Tour, one shot behind Woods.

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Jean Bartholomew shot a five-under 67 to tie Laura Diaz for the second-round lead in the LPGA Corning (N.Y.) Classic.

Diaz, who began the day tied for the lead with Beth Bader and Sherri Steinhauer at six under, carded three birdies and stayed out of trouble in shooting a 69 for a nine-under 135 total.

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Former amateur stars Jay Sigel and David Eger shot five-under 67s to share the lead in the Farmers Charity Classic at Ada, Mich.

Sigel, 58, had his best opening round since August. Eger, a former PGA Tour and U.S. Golf Assn. official playing his third senior tour event since turning 50 in March, shot his first sub-par round.