HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. - Kevin Streelman looks ready to make contending at PGA Tour events a habit, while Brandt Snedeker was poised for an early exit at the RBC Heritage in the rain-delayed second round Friday.
Streelman, who won his first tour title last month at the Tampa Bay Championships, shot a 1-under 70 before the wind picked up at Harbour Town Golf Links. He was tied at 6 under with Charley Hoffman and 34-year-old rookie Steve LeBrun.
Hoffman, like Streelman, followed an opening 66 with a 70. LeBrun shot his second consecutive 68.
Luke Donald and Bill Haas were a stroke back. Donald had a 68, and Haas shot 69.
The biggest surprise was Snedeker, at No. 5 the highest-ranked player in the field. Days after leading the Masters on Sunday before faltering, the 2011 Harbour Town winner opened with a 73 and had a 71 Friday to finish at 2 over - one over the projected cut line.
Seventeen players were unable to finish. The rain was forecast to continue overnight before the front moves out to sea and brings cooler temperatures - but no rain.
Streelman had three birdies in his first four holes. He added a final birdie on the par-5 15th and parred out to move on top and put himself in contention on the tricky, narrow fairways and small greens of Harbour Town.
Streelman’s life hasn’t changed much since the victory in Tampa Bay, just his approach to the game.
“I do feel a bit freer to be in the position I am, say, in a week like this,” he said. “Because I’m not worried about a top 10 or a top 5 or keep your card. And I can just go out and try and win a golf tournament.”
The attitude worked for Streelman at the RBC Heritage, where his best showing in four previous appearances was a tie for 17th last year. Streelman’s turnaround began before the Tampa Bay victory when he decided it was better to think long term instead of over-emphasizing the past week’s tournament successes or failures.
“If I play well on the weekend, great. If I don’t play well, great,” he continued. “I know I’m doing the right things from my practice and workout and for a lifestyle situation for the long term with my career.”
Hoffman, seeking his third PGA Tour career victory and first since 2010, closed with birdies on his final two holes, the eighth and the ninth, to catch Streelman.
“It feels good to get the blood flowing a little bit and have a chance on Sunday,” he said. “Obviously, would like to make a bunch of birdies and pull away, but it usually doesn’t happen out here.”
After graduating from Florida Atlantic in 2000, LeBrun played golf’s mini tours and Triple-A circuits until earning his PGA Tour card at qualifying school last fall. It has taken time, he said, to adjust to the harder courses and uptick in competition. LeBrun’s missed the cuts in five of his eight events on tour this year and hasn’t finished higher than 24th at the Puerto Rico Open last month.
“It feels good,” he said. “It’s one of those things I always knew I had the game to be out here and I plan on being in this position a lot of times,” he said.
Little Rock’s Glen Day, after an opening round of 68, fell into a tie for 59th place with a 4-over 75 on Friday. Day started his round with a birdie, but had five bogeys and 12 pars to finish the day.
Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) shot back to-back 70s and is at 2-under for the tournament, tied for 25th. Duke had four birdies, one bogey and one double bogey in Friday’s round.
Bryce Molder (Conway) shot his second consecutive round of 73 and is at 4-over 146 for the tournament.
John Daly (Dardanelle, Arkansas Razorbacks) shot a 10-over 81 on Friday and is at 10 over for the tournament. He is tied with David Lingmerth (Razorbacks), who shot a 6-over par on Friday. Tag Ridings followed his opening round of 85 with a 1-over 72. He is at 15-over 157 for the tournament.
Molder, Daly, Lingmerth and Ridings will miss the cut after the second round concludes today.
LPGA Pettersen maintains lead
KAPOLEI, Hawaii - Suzann Pettersen shot a 4-under-par 68 on Friday at windswept Ko Olina to maintain a one-stroke lead after the third round of the LPGA Lotte Championship.
The 32-year-old Norwegian, a 10-time LPGA Tour winner ranked sixth in the world, had a 14-under 202 total.
South Korea’s Hee Kyung Seo was second after a 66 on Friday, matching the best round of the day. She made three consecutive birdies on the back nine for a share of the lead, but dropped back with a bogey on the par-4 18th.
Defending champion Ai Miyazato was third at 11 under after a 70.
Pettersen, a stroke ahead of Miyazato entering the round, birdied the first three holes and got to 14 under with a birdie on the par-4 seventh. The European Solheim Cup star bogeyed the par-3 eighth, and got the stroke back with a birdie on the par-5 14th.
South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim, only 17, was 10 under after a 69. Second-ranked Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks) had a 69 to join Lizette Salas (67) and 17-year-old Ariya Jutanugarn (68) at 9 under.
EUROPEAN TOUR Uihlein takes lead
VALENCIA, Spain - Peter Uihlein of the United States shot a 4-under 68 Friday to take a one-shot lead after the second round of the Spanish Open.
Uihlein had six birdies and two bogeys on the Parador de El Saler course, leaving him at 6-under 138.
Chile’s Felipe Aguilar remains in contention for his second European Tour victory. He is one stroke behind with France’s Raphael Jacquelin and Sweden’s Rikard Karlberg.
Five players are another shot back. Spain’s Sergio Garcia is seven strokes off the lead after a 73.
CHAMPIONS TOUR Two share Gwinnett lead
DULUTH, Ga. - Bart Bryant and David Frost topped the first-round leaderboard Friday in the Champions Tour’s rain-delayed Greater Gwinnett Championship.
The start of play was delayed four hours by rain. There were 57 players still on the TPC Sugarloaf course when the round was suspended because of darkness. Bryant completed a 4-under 68, and Frost was 4 under with five holes left.
The first round will be completed this morning, followed by the second round.
The 50-year-old Bryant is a rookie on the Champions Tour who was away from golf for three years due to two surgeries on his left wrist.
Frost, the Toshiba Classic winner last month in California, has finished in the top 10 in each of his five events this season.
Six players were 3 under, including Duffy Waldorf and Neal Lancaster, who completed their rounds.
Leaderboard PGA TOUR RBC HERITAGE At Harbour Town Golf Links Par 71, 7,101 yards Hilton Head, S.C.
NOTE 17 players did not finish the second round because of rain. The round will be completed today.
Kevin Streelman ................ 66-70-136 Charley Hoffman ............... 66-70-136 Steve LeBrun ..................... 68-68-136 Luke Donald ...................... 69-68-137 Bill Haas ............................ 68-69-137 ARKANSANS Ken Duke ........................... 70-70-140 Glen Day ............................ 68-75-143 Bryce Molder .................... 73-73-146 John Daly .......................... 71-81-152 Daid Lingmerth ................. 75-77-152 Tag Ridings ....................... 85-72-157 - Complete scores, Page 7C
Sports, Pages 26 on 04/20/2013