Lehman Takes Up Where He Left Off In The British Isles

Tom Lehman, back in Britain where he won the Open championship last year, fired a 5-under-par 66 Thursday and took the second-round lead in the weather-plagued $1.34 million Gulfstream World Invitational at Loch Lomond, Scotland.

Lehman, at 11-under 131, was three strokes ahead of Steve Jones after lightning forced a five-hour suspension. England’s Paul Curry and Sweden’s Joakim Haeggman - who both opened with course-record 63s Wednesday - were tied for third at 135 after second-round 72s.

Meanwhile, Seve Ballesteros missed the halfway cut for the 10th time in 12 tournaments.

Ballesteros, bothered by an ailing back and tendinitis in both arms, had eight bogeys and a double bogey en route to a second consecutive 79. His 158 total put him 148th in the field of 150.

Lehman completed the front nine in 33 after birdies at the fourth, sixth and eighth holes. He began the back nine with a birdie at the par-4 10th before lightning forced him off the 11th hole.

He returned to birdie the 14th, and finished the first two days without a bogey.

“I feel pleased with the way I played,” Lehman said. “Not as good as the first day, but again no bogeys and that’s a sign my concentration is good.”

Lehman’s flawless performance overshadowed that of Jones, the former U.S. Open champion whose round of 65 included five birdies and an eagle. He was at 134.

Greg Norman, who went out in par-36, was 3-under on the back nine for his second straight 68 and a 136 total. He was tied for fifth with England’s Stephen Field, who also shot a 68.

Nick Faldo, the two-time British Open winner, fired a 2-over 73 for 140. Reigning U.S. Open champion Ernie Els and Colin Montgomerie both carded 68s for 139.

PGA

Gary Hallberg, who has missed the cut in his last 18 PGA Tour events, shot a 5-under-par 65 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Quad City Classic at Coal Valley, Ill.

“Where did that come from?” a smiling Hallberg asked reporters. “I can’t expect to shoot that every day, or even again. Sixty-five is an awfully good score - for me.”

As it turned out, 65 was the best anybody could manage at the 6,762-yard Oakwood Country Club.

Three golfers were tied at 66: Dave Stockton Jr., whose father won the event in 1974; Russ Cochran, whose lone tour victory was the 1991 Western Open; and former University of Iowa golfer Sean McCarty, who is making his PGA Tour debut. Billy Mayfair and Scott Verplank were among 20 players at 3-under.

Seniors

Larry Gilbert and Dana Quigley, both career club pros before turning 50, shared a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Senior Players Championship at Dearborn, Mich.

Gilbert and Quigley each shot 5-under-par 67s over the 6,876-yard Tournament Players Club of Michigan course. Quigley, a rookie, is winless on the Senior PGA Tour and Gilbert has won twice since 1993.