Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 7, 1990 TAG: 9007070087
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: WILLIAMSBURG LENGTH: Medium
"I've won all different ways," said Wadkins, who has 18 PGA Tour victories to his credit. "I won three times in '85, and all three times I shot 20-under or better."
He might have to do that again to win the Anheuser-Busch Classic.
Wadkins is well on his way. The Richmond native was 11 under par Friday after 36 holes at Kingsmill Golf Club.
Wadkins shot a second-round 66, had a two-day total of 131 and was one shot ahead of Mark O'Meara, who led Wadkins by a stroke after the first round.
Kingsmill resident Curtis Strange is tied for third at 133 with Scott Verplank, who had a 5-under-par 30 on the back nine en route to a 64.
Friday's action featured a course-record 62 by Mike Sullivan, who barely made the cut after an opening-round 79. Sullivan, who had eight birdies and an eagle, missed a 5-footer at No. 18 that would have given him a 61.
Little-known Jeff Wilson finished with a 63 that included a bogey at No. 11, his second hole, and eight birdies in the next 10 holes.
Ho-hum.
In jeopardy is the tournament record of 17-under 267 set by Ronnie Black in 1984 and matched by Mark McCumber in 1987. This is the strongest field to play at Kingsmill, with 12 of the tour's top 20 money-winners entered, but strange things can happen on the weekend.
"The history of the PGA Tour is that you can take the score that leads after two rounds, divide it in half, and 90 percent of the time that [figure] will win the tournament," O'Meara said.
Wadkins already had completed his round Friday by the time O'Meara, the first-round leader, teed off at 1:11 p.m. O'Meara started slowly but took advantage of four birdies in a span of six holes to build a one-shot lead going to No. 18.
O'Meara pulled his tee shot into the water at the par-4 finishing hole and still was nearly 400 yards from the green after taking a penalty and drop. He ended up with a double bogey.
"It was my worst shot of the day, and it came at the wrong time," O'Meara said. "I wish it had come on the range, but what could I do? I couldn't buy a mulligan at the pro shop."
Soft greens and a lack of wind helped contribute to the low scores, but O'Meara said he noticed by late afternoon that the greens had become more firm. That might be an omen for the final two rounds.
Greg Norman had suggested Thursday that the conditions had created "a putting competition; that's all." However, you couldn't prove that by Strange, whose putting woes have been well-documented.
"I can't say I'm getting used to this," Strange said. "The frustration is wearing my a-- thin. You don't expect to make every putt, but you want to hit 'em decently. I missed some that I need to make to win the golf tournament."
For the second day in a row, Strange did not have a bogey, "and if you don't make bogeys you can score out here," said Chris Perry, among a group of four players at 134.
Strange agreed.
"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out," he said, "but, on the other hand, sometimes you make bogeys by playing well, by playing aggressively."
Few golfers are as aggressive as Norman, who had an opening-round 66 and added three birdies on the first seven holes Friday. He bogeyed Nos. 10 and 18 and fell into a seven-way tie at 135.
Nobody who shot par or worse for two days made the cut, which eliminated the likes of two-time Anheuser-Busch champion Calvin Peete, two-time 1990 tour winner Robert Gamez and J.C. Snead of Hot Springs.
Tom McKnight of Galax, a three-time Virginia State Amateur champion, managed two birdies in two days and had a 36-hole total of 153.
"It's hard to get enthused when you're playing that way," said McKnight, who shot a 78 on Friday. "After I'd been out there so long and played so poorly, I just wanted to stay out of everybody's way and finish."
by CNB