Daly Cuts Loose

Defending champion John Daly, sporting a funky hairdo, birdied the final hole to take a one-shot lead over Jim Gallagher and Michael Bradley in the second round of the BellSouth Classic golf tournament in Marietta, Ga.

“It’s just awesome to be in this situation again,” Daly said after posting his second straight 67 for a 10-under-par 134 on the 7,018-yard Atlanta Country Club course.

The 1991 PGA champion had eight birdies in his round, but also made three bogeys, twice missing par putts of 6 feet or less and another from 12 feet.

After playing the Atlanta event with a shaved head last year, Daly showed up Thursday with a full head of hair. He came out Friday with his hair long in the back, the rest in a buzz cut.

Bradley moved into contention with a bogey-free, 7-under 65 while Gallagher, who shared the first-round lead, had an up-and-down 70 with six birdies and four bogeys. Four were tied at 8-under 136.

Bill Porter Jr., the Quincy, Wash., golfer who shared the first-round lead, shot 73 for 138. Pullman’s Kirk Triplett is seven strokes off the lead at 141.

Larry Ziegler carded a 6-under-par 66 to take the opening-round lead in the PaineWebber Invitational in Charlotte, N.C., on the Senior PGA Tour.

Trailing Ziegler are Graham Marsh and Roger Kennedy with 67s.

Laura Davies shot an 8-under-par 64 and built a three-stroke lead over seven rivals at Old Hickory, Tenn., in the opening round of the Sara Lee Classic.