PITTSBURGH — The heat is on at the Senior Players Championship. Fred Couples is taking advantage of it.
With sweltering temperatures easing the stiffness in his chronically bad back, the defending champion birdied the final three holes Friday for a 7-under-par 63 and the second-round lead at Fox Chapel.
Couples, the winner last year at Westchester Country Club in Harrison, N.Y., reached 11 under on a day when the temperature reached 96 degrees with a heat index of 105. The tournament is the third of five Champions Tour majors.
“The heat helps,” said Couples, the 1992 Masters champion. “I have some heat on my back to start the day, and then being hot and humid certainly was a good thing.”
Couples has complained about stiffness all week, saying his back is sore after receiving his regular anti-inflammatory injections two weeks ago. His game hasn’t shown it. Couples has one bogey through two rounds, has birdied the two par-5 holes both days and has hit 34 of 36 greens.
He birdied four of the first six holes and closed the same way, with birdies at 13, 16, 17 and 18.
“It was a great day full of a lot of good shots, but a couple long putts were made,” Couples said. “Any time you’re going to shoot a low round on a course that I think is like this, you’re going to have to do that.”
Joe Daley was a stroke back after a 64. He leads the field with 16 birdies during the tournament. Dating to his previous start at the Senior PGA Championship in May, Daley is a combined 22 under in his past four rounds. He finished 66-64 (12 under) at the Senior PGA Championship to climb into a tie for fourth.
Tom Lehman, the Regions Tradition winner in his last start, was third at 7 under after a 66. He extended his streak of consecutive rounds in the 60s to 10.
Mark Calcavecchia was 6 under along with Bill Glasson, Michael Allen and Jay Don Blake. Calcavecchia and Blake shot 65, Glasson had a 67, and Allen a 68.
Olin Browne had a tournament-record 62 to reach 5 under. After putting 35 times in opening with a 73 Thursday, the reigning U.S. Senior Open champion drove to nearby Oakmont Country Club to work on his putting.
First-round leader Bruce Vaughan was 2 under. He followed a 64 with a 74 that included seven bogeys. Fred Funk, second after the first round, was 3 under after a 72. Tom Watson also was 3 under after a 67. He’s returning from a wrist injury that sidelined him since April.
Greg Norman was 1 over after a 74. He’s playing his first Champions Tour event since 2009.
EUROPEAN TOUR
Bourdy leads Irish Open
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland - Frenchman Gregory Bourdy opened a one-shot lead in the second round of the Irish Open as Rory McIlroy edged his way back toward the leaderboard Friday.
Bourdy had an eagle on his second hole and six birdies and three bogeys to move to 12-under 132. Englishman Mark Foster (67) was second.
McIlroy climbed 29 places and into a tie for 24th with his 3-under 69 with five birdies on the Royal Portrush links course.
Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington moved into contention with a second consecutive 67 to sit two off the lead.
PGA champion Keegan Bradley missed the cut at his first tournament in Europe after a 1-under 71 on the second day for even par overall. John Daly (Dardanelle, Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a 71 Friday and was at 3-under 141.
Sports, Pages 28 on 06/30/2012