LAS VEGAS (Nevada), Oct 12: Tom Lehman followed up his opening 63 by shooting a course record 10-under-par 62 to take the early second round lead at the $4.5 million Las Vegas Classic 90-hole event Thursday.

The 42-year-old American, back on the U.S. PGA Tour after a seven-week break, was on 19-under-par overall, three ahead of fellow countryman and joint first round leader Fred Couples.

American John Daly, fresh from his second-place finish at the German Masters last week, fired a course record nine-under-par 62 at the TPC at the Canyons to move into third place on 14-under.

Lehman played the easiest of the three courses being used this week — Southern Highlands — and totalled 10 birdies. He had nine birdies at the TPC host course at Summerlin on Wednesday.

Lehman’s two-round total of 125 equalled the U.S. PGA Tour 36-hole record set by Tiger Woods at the 2000 NEC Invitational and by Mark Calcavecchia at the 2001 Phoenix Open.

Lehman credits his good play this week to a new softer cover ball that has allowed him to control his iron shots, creating more birdie opportunities.

Leading second round scores:

125 Tom Lehman 63 62

127 Fred Couples 63 64

129 Chris DiMarco 68 61

129 John Daly 67 62

130 Craig Parry (Australia) 64 66; 131 Robert Allenby (Australia) 66 65, Bob Estes 65 66

131 Rory Sabbatini (South Africa) 64 67

132 Steve Flesch 65 67

133 Scott McCarron 68 65, Tom Pernice Jr. 64 69, Russ Cochran 67 66, Pete Jordan 67 66, Joe Durant 67 66; 134 Greg Kraft 69 65, Cameron Beckman 67 67, Jim Carter 65 69, David Morland IV (Canada) 69 65, Michael Muehr 68 66, Chris Riley 69 65

134 Andrew Magee 67 67, Jason Gore 66 68, Joe Ogilvie 64 70, Davis Love III 69 65, Joel Edwards 71 63, Charles Howell III 66 68, Lee Janzen 67 67, Scott Verplank 67 67; 135 Bob May 69 66, Tim Herron 68 67, Paul Stankowski 69 66, Ted Tryba 68 67, Shigeki Maruyama (Japan) 67 68, Robert Damron 67 68

135 Ian Leggatt (Canada) 68 67. —Reuters