Del Mar golfer still in lead at Buick as second round cut short by fog

By: JAY PARIS - Staff Writer | Friday, January 21, 2005 11:40 PM PST ∞

Ernie Els walks off the course through the fog Friday after play was suspended.
Bill Bechter
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LA JOLLA ---- The cheer reverberated from the North Course's 18th hole, a sound associated with someone sinking a long, clutch birdie putt in the Buick Invitational. But that wasn't the case early Friday afternoon. Instead, that roar came via the course marshals, as one of their cohorts returned with numerous cups of hot coffee.

Golf? They got some in at Torrey Pines Golf Course. But it was fog that hogged the spotlight, forcing a 3-hour, 28-minute delay.

The slight Santa Ana condition which bathed this layout in brilliant sunshine earlier in the week gave way to a murky marine layer that halted play at 12:47 p.m. The golfers later returned to their playing positions and got in 58 minutes of competition before daylight vanished.

What hasn't disappeared is Del Mar's Tom Lehman's name from atop the leaderboard.

When the fog lifted, he birdied his remaining two holes to reach the clubhouse at 5-under-par 67, for a two-day total of 15-under 129.

Not all the players were able to complete their work. The second round resumes at 7:30 this morning, followed by the third round.

Lehman's 15-under mark ties Lennie Clements for the tournament record after 36 holes. Lehman has scored birdies on half of his 36 holes ---- just one shy of his career-best over a similar stretch.

"I putted very well," said Lehman, of his round that included eight birdies and three bogeys. "I didn't hit the ball all that well. It was streaky, at best.

"I got away with a couple of bad swings and hit it in some spots in the rough where the gallery had walked, so I was able to play it out of the rough at times."

Trailing Lehman by three strokes is Australia's Peter Lonard, who has two holes remaining on the North. After scoring the day's best round on the South on Thursday (62), he got to 12-under before sunset halted play.

Tiger Woods, after birdies on three of his last four holes, sits alone in third at 11-under par. But Woods' successful tour of the North ended on the 17th, after nine birdies. His lone bogey came on the par-4 No. 7.

Woods climbed into contention while rebounding from a recent flu bug.

"I'm feeling stronger, feeling better," he said. "I just don't have my energy back or my stamina, because I lost so much weight (7 pounds) so fast."

Overall, 59 golfers weren't quick enough to complete their second rounds; 91 finished. Six players withdrew before play resumed.

The second round has five holes remaining on the South and three on the North.

The cut will then be made ---- it's projected at 2-under ---- and the third round will commence with threesomes going off on the South's No. 1 and No. 10.

Kevin Sutherland, who North County golf fans remember from his 2002 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship title in La Costa, had a 6-under 66 on the North in getting to 10-under.

Sutherland has a good feeling about Torrey Pines. He finished tied for fifth in 2000 with three consecutive rounds in the 60s after opening with a 73.

Dudley Hart is tied with Sutherland, after snagging four birdies on his final nine holes, which was the South's front nine.

"Overall, my round was more encouraging (Friday) as weird as this may sound," said Hart, who followed Thursday's 65 with a 69. "I didn't really hit the ball well (Thursday) on the North Course, and didn't drive it well. I scored well, but I knew that I needed to drive it better on the South Course, because you can't hit it in the rough when the holes are 480 yards. When they're 400, that's one thing."

Pat Perez (Torrey Pines High), who started Friday tied for seventh at 6-under is tied for eighth at 8-under with four holes left.

Tom Pernice Jr. (Murrieta) fired a 73 on the South for a 6-under 138.

Rancho Santa Fe's Phil Mickelson was five strokes better (67) on the North on Friday, to be at 5-under and tied for 20th.

Contact staff writer Jay Paris at jparis8@aol.com.