Goydos grabs three-shot lead at Texas Open
HOUSTON, Texas (Reuters) - American journeyman Paul Goydos overcame an opening bogey with six birdies to card a five-under 65 on Friday and take a three-stroke lead after two rounds of the Texas Open in San Antonio.
Goydos, whose opening 63 tied him with three-times winner Justin Leonard for the first-round lead, stood at 12-under-par 128 at La Cantera Golf Club's Resort Course.
Tied for second place on 131 were Leonard, after a 68, fellow Americans Ted Purdy (67), John Mallinger (64) and Scott Sterling (63), and Sweden's Mathias Gronberg (65).
"Another good day," two-time PGA Tour winner Goydos told reporters after taking his biggest lead at the end of a round in 416 career starts.
"I really only had one mediocre shot all day, and that was on the first hole. I made bogey, and after that I played reasonably well."
The 44-year-old American, who has missed seven of 11 cuts this season, has always fared well at the Texas Open. He tied for seventh in 2003, tied for eighth in 2006 and never missed a cut in 11 previous appearances in the tournament.
Four strokes off the pace at 132 were Fredrik Jacobson of Sweden, Briton Brian Davis and American Kent Jones.
Last year's winner Zach Johnson, the 2007 Masters champion, shot 67 for 135 and stood seven strokes back.
Leonard, who in 2007 matched Arnold Palmer's hat-trick of Texas Open titles, is trying to become the first to win the event four times.
"I had a lot of good putts that looked awfully good with a foot or two left, and just didn't make as many," he said.
The day's best round was turned in by J.P. Hayes, who registered a bogey-free round of eight-under 62 for 133. Hayes had six birdies and an eagle-three at the 14th.
Seventy-six players made the cut set at one-under-par 139.
Two players that missed qualifying for the weekend were Jesper Parnevik and his caddie Lance Ten Broeck, who joined the field as an alternate at the last minute on Thursday.
Broeck, a former U.S. Tour player, shot even-par 70 in the morning for one-over 141, then returned to caddie for the Swede who finished on 144.
(Writing by Larry Fine in New York; Editing by Ian Ransom)
