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Watson leads Couples by two at Hualalai

Sat 23rd, January 2010

Kaupulehu-Kona, HI (Sports Network) - Tom Watson carded a six-under 66 Saturday to take a two-stroke lead after two rounds of the Mitsubishi Electric Championship.

Watson, who missed three short putts on the front nine, had nine birdies in the second round at Hualalai Golf Club. He completed 36 holes at 15-under 129.

Fred Couples, who is making his Champions Tour debut, kept pace with Watson as he posted a 66 of his own. He is alone in second at 13-under-par 131.

Reigning Senior PGA Champion Michael Allen (66) and former British Open winner Tom Lehman (67) share third place at minus-12.

As John Cook made an early run into the lead, Watson three-putted for bogey on the first to fall one back. He quickly got that stroke back with a birdie on the second to gain a share of the lead.

After three straight pars, Watson tapped in a short birdie putt on six and nearly holed a bunker shot at the par-five seventh. Watson kicked in another birdie to move one clear at minus-11.

However, Watson struggled with the putter over the next two holes. He dropped shots on eight and nine to fall one stroke out of the lead.

Around the turn, Watson caught fire. He birdied the 10th, but still was one behind Phil Blackmar, who was in the midst of three birdies in a four-hole span.

Watson rolled in a six-footer for birdie on 11 to take the lead as Blackmar dropped a shot on 13. Watson pushed his lead to two with a 10-foot birdie effort on the 12th.

Mark O'Meara and Couples briefly got within one, but Watson poured in his fourth consecutive birdie at the 13th. He got up and down for birdie on the par-five 14th to stretch his lead to three.

Watson ran home a 17-foot birdie try at 16 to move to minus-15. He had birdie chances from about 22 and 16 feet on the final two holes, but could not convert.

"This is just a sprint right now. You have to make a lot of birdies, and on the front nine I three-putted three times. You can afford one three-putt, but not three," Watson stated. "I hung on and started to make some good swings and got the ball close to the hole, made a couple good putts there and managed to turn it around."

Couples, who had a bogey-free round, had birdies on four, six and 10 to get to 10-under. Playing one group ahead of Watson, Couples rolled in a 16-foot birdie putt on 13.

After a pair of pars, Couples sank a five-foot birdie try on 16 and came right back with a 15-footer for birdie on 17 to end two behind Watson.

"I played well. I did hit a bad second shot on the par-five (seventh) and scrambled for par, then three-putted from a long way on the other par-five (14), but those are holes I've been saying, 'Hey, you've got to birdie,' and I parred a couple of them today," Couples said. "I made a few putts and I am starting to figure out the greens a little better."

O'Meara (65) and Blackmar (67) share fifth place at 11-under-par 133. Champions Tour wins leader Hale Irwin posted his second straight 67 and is tied for seventh with Mike Goodes (66) at minus-10. U.S. Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin posted a four-under 68 and is alone in ninth at nine-under 135.

NOTES: Andy North, who carded a bogey-free 65, matched O'Meara for low round of the day...Defending champion Bernhard Langer shot his second straight four- under 68 and is tied for 10th at minus-eight with Cook (68), North and two others...Gary Player's two-over 74 was one of four rounds over-par on Saturday, but it did match his age.