Mickelson glad to be in hunt

By: Associated Press | Friday, July 13, 2007 11:40 PM PDT ∞

Gregory Havret and Jose Manuel Lara shared a one-stroke lead over Phil Mickelson on Friday, while Colin Montgomerie missed the cut at the Scottish Open at Luss, Scotland.

Havret birdied five holes on the back nine for a 64. Lara had an eagle and two birdies on his last six holes for a 65. They finished at 10-under 132.

Mickelson, a Rancho Santa Fe resident, said he was fortunate to shoot a 68, because "I wasn't hitting it where I wanted to."

Montgomerie, who won the European Open on Sunday, shot a 3-over 74, missing the cut the week before the British Open for the first time in his career.

"I just didn't putt well today," Montgomerie said. "I hit 27 out of 28 fairways (over two days). That proves it's a putting competition, and I just didn't putt well. There's nothing wrong with my game. I just don't get the ball in the hole the way I should."

Montgomerie said he would go home to London for the weekend before heading to the British Open at Carnoustie on Tuesday.

Ernie Els tied for seventh after shooting a 66. Retief Goosen, Miguel Angel Jimenez and David Howell also missed the cut.

Mickelson finished his round in heavy rain but felt he had missed a chance earlier to post a better score.

"I didn't feel all that great today," he said. "I was fighting it on the tee and fighting it with the putter, but I got away with a couple of bad shots that stayed in play."

He did not have a bogey on the back nine. His only bogey came earlier, at the long sixth hole.

Mickelson had shared the first-round lead with Graeme Storm, Soren Hansen and Lee Westwood, who shot 72, 73 and 74 respectively, on Friday.

Johnson misses cut

Masters champion Zach Johnson missed the cut, leaving the John Deere Classic without its main attraction. Johnson shot an even-par 71 for a 36-hole total of 141, 11 behind leader Nathan Green and one off the cut at Silvis, Ill.

Green grabbed the lead with a second-round 63 that had him one stroke in front of Jason Dufner (66) and Carl Pettersson (64). First-round leader Neal Lancaster (68) was two strokes back.

Et cetera

LPGA: Se Ri Pak's 3-under 68 gave her a five-stroke lead after two rounds at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic at Sylvania, Ohio. The four-time tournament winner is at 11-under 131.

CHAMPIONS: Craig Stadler shot a 3-under 69 to tie Scott Hoch and qualifier Rod Spittle for the first-round lead at the inaugural Dick's Sporting Goods Open at Endicott, N.Y.

AMATEUR: Colt Knost reached the final of the 82nd U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship with a 3-and-2 victory over Corey Nagy at Wheaton, Ill. The 22-year-old Knost will face Cody Paladino in today's 36-hole final. The 18-year-old from Kensington, Conn., beat Derek Fathauer of Jensen Beach, Fla. 1-up.

CELEBRITY: Former Chargers quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver followed a pair of bogeys with a 25-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole to take the first-round lead at the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship at Lake Tahoe. Tolliver shot a 2-under-par 70.

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