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FORT WORTH (Texas), May 21: American Kenny Perry made a bid for a second Colonial title in three years by firing a flawless seven-under 63 to top the leaderboard by three shots from compatriots DJ Trahan and Ted Purdy on Friday. Perry, the 2003 winner at Colonial Country Club, got his second round off to the best possible start with back-to-back birdies and never let off the gas making the turn at four-under and adding three more birdies on the back,
With just a single bogey through two scorching rounds at Hogan’s Alley, Perry sits at 12-under 128.
After 81 PGA Tour events without a title until his win last week at the Byron Nelson, Purdy was in contention for a second as he continued to play superbly, signing for a five-under 65.
Joining Purdy at nine-under 131 is Trahan, who had a rollercoaster day mixing six birdies with three bogeys for a three-under 67.
Lurking one stroke further back at 132 is Kirk Triplett, who carded a four-under 66 for the second consecutive day.
Leading second round scores:
128 — Kenny Perry (US) 65, 63.
131 — D.J. Trahan (US) 64, 67; Ted Purdy (US) 66, 65.
132 — Kirk Triplett (US) 66. 66.
133 — Rod Pampling (Australia) 66, 67; Steve Stricker (US) 68, 65; Billy Mayfair (US) 67, 66.
134 — Brandt Jobe (US) 65, 69; Patrick Sheehan (US) 62, 72; Briny Baird (US) 69, 65; Joe Durant (US) 71, 63.
135 — Tim Clark (South Africa) 71, 64; Arjun Atwal (India) 70, 65; Arron Oberholser (US) 68, 67; Loren Roberts (US) 68, 67; K.J. Choi (South Korea) 69, 66; Peter Lonard (Australia) 69, 66; David Toms (US) 69, 66; Scott Hend (Australia) 68, 67; Stephen Leaney (Australia) 66, 69; Ben Crane (US) 69, 66; Aaron Baddeley (Australia) 69, 66.
136 — Bob Tway (US) 67, 69; Kevin Na (South Korea) 65, 71; Brian Bateman (US) 64, 72; Justin Rose (Britain) 68, 68; Justin Leonard (US) 67, 69; Rory Sabbatini (South Africa) 67, 69; Corey Pavin (US) 70, 66; Harrison Frazar (US) 66, 70.
137 — Skip Kendall (US) 67, 70; Steve Jones (US) 69, 68; Stuart Appleby (Australia) 68, 69; Jim Furyk (US) 69, 68; Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden) 68, 69; Bernhard Langer (Germany) 68, 69; Bo Van Pelt (US) 70, 67.
DODD AHEAD
MAYNOOTH (Ireland): Stephen Dodd, bidding for his second win of the season, birdied the final hole at the Carton House course to edge into a one-stroke lead after the second round of the Irish Open on Friday.
A two-under-par 70 gave Dodd a five-under total of 139, one in front of fellow Britons David Howell, Nick Dougherty and Bradley Dredge and Pelle Edberg of Sweden on a day of gusting wind and squalls at the County Kildare layout designed by Colin Montgomerie.
Howell has bounced back well after losing a playoff to Dane Thomas Bjorn at last week’s British Masters. The Englishman only needed a par at the 72nd hole to secure victory.
Dougherty, like Dodd a winner in early season when the 22-year-old Englishman won the Singapore Masters, returned a 72.
Dredge went one better than fellow Welshman Dodd by birdying his last two holes to shoot a 68, the joint lowest round of the day.
Tour rookie Edberg finished even better and birdied the last three holes to match Dredge’s 68.
Leading second round scores:
139 — Stephen Dodd (Britain) 69, 70.
140 — Nick Dougherty (Britain) 68, 72; Bradley Dredge (Britain) 72, 68; Pelle Edberg (Sweden) 72, 68; David Howell (Britain) 70, 70.
141 — Philip Golding (Britain) 72, 69; Paul McGinley (Ireland) 72, 69.
142 Jose-Filipe Lima (Portugal) 71, 71.
143 Simon Dyson (Britain) 71, 72; Joakim Haeggman (Sweden) 73, 70; Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) 71, 72; Andrew McLardy (South Africa) 72, 71; Colm Moriarty (Ireland) 69, 74; Rolf Muntz (Netherlands) 70, 73; Jean-Francois Remesy (France) 71, 72; Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 74, 69; Oliver Wilson (Britain) 72, 71.
144 Angel Cabrera (Argentina) 71, 73; Marc Cayeux (Zimbabwe) 71, 73; Mattias Eliasson (Sweden) 69, 75; Klas Eriksson (Sweden) 68, 76; Mark Foster (Britain) 71, 73; Colin Montgomerie (Britain) 71, 73; Lee Slattery (Britain)72, 72; Lee Westwood (Britain) 70, 74.—Reuters
