GRAND BLANC, Mich. - The big three and the big one. Tiger. Furyk. Vijay. Daly.
Headed into the Buick Open's final two rounds at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club, the four biggest names in the field are in contention after two birdie-filled days.
Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk and Billy Andrade shared the lead Friday at 11-under 133, one shot ahead of fan favorite John Daly, Ryder Cup hopeful Stewart Cink, Olin Browne and Carlos Franco.
Tiger Woods, the No. 1 player in the world, was two shots off the lead, as were Craig Barlow, Pat Bates and Bob Tway.
It's a crowded and intimidating leaderboard, and as afternoon rains further softened Warwick's already spongy greens, most expect the weekend scores to keep heading south
"There are some good names," Woods said. "You know with who's on that board, you're going to have to make a bunch of birdies. It's just the way the nature of this golf course is. You can't go out there and make a bunch of pars. You have to be aggressive and make birdies."
Singh followed his first-round 63 with a more modest two-under-par 70.
Furyk, who started the day three shots back, shot a rain-free 67 in the morning. It was the defending champion's 23rd straight under-par round at Warwick, dating to 1997.
The 2003 U.S. Open winner shows no signs of soreness in his surgically repaired wrist. After the surgery in March, Furyk has played in just five other tournaments. And this is the best he has felt since returning, he said.
Andrade, who has four victories on the PGA Tour, shared the lead with two more marketable names. But don't count him out-he's coming off of his best finish this season, a tie for fourth at the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee.
Woods and Daly, the two biggest fan favorites, didn't disappoint their large crowds. Daly almost aced the par-three No. 17 on his way to 64.
Asked to describe what went right Friday, Daly was blunt.
"I didn't have any bogeys and shot 64," he said.
Woods, the '02 Buick winner, continued a steady climb up the leaderboard.
He started the day four back of Singh, Thursday's leader, and finished two back with 68.
WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN: In Sunningdale, England, Annika Sorenstam's surge to the top of the leaderboard stopped suddenly on the back nine.
The defending champion moved within two strokes of the lead with three early birdies Friday, but she faltered late, with two bogeys and zero birdies in the second half of her round. Sorenstam settled for 1-under-par 71 that left her tied for fifth at 5-under 139, four strokes behind Karen Stupples.
Stupples had another bogey-free round, this time a 2-under-par 70 that mover her to 9-under 135. Beth Daniel (69) and South Korea's Jeong Jang (68) and Seol-An Jeon (69) are tied for second at 6-under.
SCANDINAVIAN MASTERS: In Loddekopinge, Sweden, England's Luke Donald shot a course-record 7-under-par 65 to take a one-shot lead after two rounds.
Donald's bogey-free round at Barseback Golf and Country Club included seven birdies and 11 pars. He eclipsed the previous record of 66, posted by Sweden's Carl Pettersson.
U.S. SENIOR OPEN: Not long after the second round was postponed due to unplayable conditions in St. Louis, the USGA received a flood of criticism over its plan to complete the championship with 36 holes on Sunday.
A steady downpour that started Thursday night and continued into midday Friday dumped about 3 inches of rain on Bellerive Country Club, leaving the course swamped.
USGA Championship Committee chairman Walter Driver said one hole became an "island" because of the rain, and another was almost completely under water.
The second round is set for today, and those who make the cut are scheduled to play the final two rounds on Sunday, when the forecast calls for temperatures reaching 90.
"That is a decision that surprised me to be honest with you," said Leonard Thompson, who is four strokes behind first-round leader Peter Jacobsen, who opened with 6-under 65.
"With the age of the guys, to ask these guys to walk 36 holes is a gutsy decision. You could have some guys go down out there. We've had some guys with heart attacks."
The Augusta Chronicle ©2012 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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