Frazar, Petrovic Tied at Phoenix

Harrison Frazar and Tim Petrovic have seen the discouraging side of the PGA Tour. What they haven’t seen is the big paycheck that goes to a champion.

Now, both are in contention for the $720,000 winner’s purse at the Phoenix Open.

Frazar, the first-round leader after a nine-under-par 62, birdied the next-to-last hole Friday for a 67 and caught up with Petrovic for the second-round lead. Petrovic had a career-low 63 to get to 13-under 129.

But Frazar, a back-nine starter, sent a 12-foot birdie putt into the center of the cup on No. 8 for the tie.

“We had a wait on the No. 13 tee, and the scoreboard is right there,” Frazar said. “I turned and looked, and I saw that Petrovic was at 13, and I remember thinking that 13 is going to be a pretty good spot at the end of the day.”

Steve Stricker, Luke Donald, Scott McCarron, John Rollins and John Huston were two shots behind. Stricker matched the 62 Frazar shot Thursday. McCarron had a 65, Donald and Rollins shot 66s and Huston carded a 67.

*

Ernie Els overcame jet lag and searing tropical heat to take the second-round lead in the Singapore Masters.

With temperatures reaching 90 degrees, the South African star, coming off consecutive PGA Tour victories in Hawaii, completed the rain-delayed first round with a three-under 69 and shot a 67 in the second for an eight-under 136 total.