October 14, 2007	Sunday	Shawwal 1, 1428

LAS VEGAS, Oct 13: American journeyman Garrett Willis shrugged off a late night and a sluggish start to charge into a three-way tie for the lead in the Las Vegas Open second round on Friday.

The 33-year-old from North Carolina fired a sparkling 10-under-par 62, just one off the course record at the TPC Summerlin, for a 13-under total of 130.

Willis set the pace at the tournament’s halfway point with fellow Americans D.J. Trahan (65) and PGA Tour rookie George McNeill (64), who both played at the neighbouring TPC Canyons.

Twice major winner John Daly also made the most of a sun-drenched day of low-scoring in the Nevada desert, following his opening 74 with a 63 at Summerlin to lie seven strokes off the lead.

The 144-strong field played the opening two rounds on each of the co-hosting venues before the action switches to the Summerlin layout for the weekend.

Willis, who has bounced between the PGA Tour and the second tier Nationwide Tour for the last three years, feared the worst Friday when he arrived at the course later than scheduled.

“I got a slow start out of the hotel this morning,” he told reporters. “When you have a 7:10 tee time and you’re staying in Vegas it’s tough to get to bed at a decent hour.’’

Despite bogeying the par-four 11th, Willis hit back with a birdie at the 12th and picked up three more shots to reach the turn in three-under 33.

With his approach play in sparkling order, Willis scorched the back nine in seven-under 29, including an eagle at the par-five third where he hit his second shot to 10 feet.

Willis, whose only PGA Tour victory came at the 2001 Tucson Open, finished one stroke off the course-record 61 set by Davis Love III in 2001.

Daly made one of the biggest moves of the day, covering the back nine in a blistering eight-under 28.

The big-hitting American, playing the 2007 PGA Tour mainly on sponsor’s exemptions, rattled up 10 birdies, one eagle and three bogeys to post a six-under total of 137.

Of the other big names, 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir carded a 67 at Summerlin to lie six shots off the pace. American world No 24 Scott Verplank, the highest-ranked player in the field, returned a 70 at Summerlin to finish on three-under 140.—Reuters