Lehman plays well despite poor weather

Soupy fog made it impossible to see the ball Friday. The way Tom Lehman is playing at the Buick Invitational, it might be hard for the rest of the field to find him.

Lehman made two straight birdies in San Diego to regain the lead, then returned from a three-hour fog delay to close out his second round with two more birdies for a 5-under-par 67 on the South course at Torrey Pines, matching the 36-hole record and giving him the lead going into the weekend.

It remains to be seen just how big that lead becomes.

Lehman was at 15-under 129, tying the record set by Lennie Clements in 1996.

Peter Lonard of Australia was at 12 under and playing his final hole on the par-5 ninth hole on the North course when the second round was suspended by darkness.

Tiger Woods also shot himself into contention, making three birdies in four holes after the fog delay. He was at 11 under on the North course, and still had the reachable par-5 18th to play.

“I felt the fog delay actually worked in my favor,” Lehman said. “I was struggling a bit with my swing, and I went to the range and hit balls for an hour and a half, and felt like I got my rhythm back.”

He can only hope for a different outcome than when Clements set the 36-hole record nine years ago. Clements shot 72-71 on the weekend and finished third.

Lehman, too, has struggled to close out tournaments. He has not won since the 2000 Phoenix Open, and ended last year by playing in the final group in three straight tournaments, failing to win.

But he looks stronger, and really showed his stuff to anyone who could see in the fog.

“I think your good golf comes when you’re not thinking about the results,” Lehman said. “You’re just thinking about executing. I think I made 19 birdies in 36 holes. That’s without question a personal best for me.”

Champions Tour

Exhibiting a putting touch reminiscent of his prime, Tom Watson shot a bogey-free, 8-under-par 64 to take a two-stroke lead over Wayne Levi after the first round of the MasterCard Championship in Kaupulehu-Kona, Hawaii.

Watson made eight birdies and didn’t have a 5 on his scorecard at Hualalai Golf Club in shooting his lowest round since a 66 last year in the season-opening event on the Champions Tour.

Sahalee loses championship

The PGA of America will move the 2010 PGA Championship from the Sahalee Country Club in the Seattle suburb of Sammamish, citing concerns over corporate sponsors, fans and financial support in the Pacific Northwest during the same year as the Vancouver (British Columbia) Olympics.

The Winter Games are scheduled in February 2010, while the golf event was slated for August that year at Sahalee, east of Seattle.