MILWAUKEE (Wisconsin), July 12: Jay Don Blake shot a two-under-par 68 early in the day and then spent the rest of it at the top of the second-round leaderboard at the $3.5 million Greater Milwaukee Open on Friday.
Blake, who led after the first round, is at eight-under 132, one shot ahead of Jerry Kelly (67), Brett Quigley (67) and Patrick Sheehan (65) at seven-under 133.
Two-time winner Loren Roberts (66), Joey Sindelar (68), Australian Steve Allan (66), 2001 winner Shigeki Maruyama of Japan (69), Joel Edwards (69), Heath Slocum (63) and Tommy Armour III (68) are logjammed at five-under 135.
Blake, 44, winless on the PGA Tour since 1991, continues to dominate the par-70 Brown Deer Park Golf Course’s front nine.
After posting a five-under 29 on the front nine on Thursday, Blake went out in three-under 31 on Friday. He made two bogeys and a birdie on the back nine for his 68.
Later in the day, Kelly, a Wisconsin native, got to seven-under with a birdie at the par-three 14th, but could not pick up another shot on the final four holes.
Quigley parred the final three holes to fall short of catching Blake, and then Sheehan birdied holes six through eight, his back nine, to reach seven-under.
Leading second round scores (US unless stated):
132 — Jay Don Blake 64, 68.
133 — Brett Quigley 66, 67; Jerry Kelly 66, 67; Patrick Sheehan 68, 65.
135 — Loren Roberts 69, 66; Joey Sindelar 67, 68; Steve Allan (Australia) 69, 66; Shigeki Maruyama (Japan) 66, 69; Joel Edwards 66, 69; Heath Slocum 72, 63; Tommy Armour III 67, 68.
136 — Kenny Perry 69, 67.
137 — Robert Gamez 69, 68; Todd Fischer 69, 68; Dennis Paulson 68, 69; Mark Calcavecchia 67, 70; Arron Oberholser 69, 68; Carlos Franco (Paraquay) 70, 67.
138 — Kent Jones 67, 71; Michael Muehr 68, 70; K.J. Choi (South Korea) 70, 68; Richard S. Johnson (Sweden) 69, 69; David Sutherland 69, 69; Scott Hoch 73, 65; Billy Andrade 68, 70; J.P. Hayes 71, 67; Rocco Mediate 69, 69; Kenneth Staton 66, 72.
Other international players:
140 — Steven Alker (New Zealand) 69, 71; Greg Chalmers (Australia) 70, 70; Brenden Pappas (South Africa) 72, 68; Deane Pappas (South Africa) 69, 71.
141 — Stephen Ames (Trinidad and Tobago) 70, 71; Gavin Coles (Australia) 71, 70; Hidemichi Tanaka (Japan) 73, 68.
142 — Grant Waite (New Zealand) 70, 72; John Senden (Australia) 69, 73; Kenichi Kuboya (Japan) 72, 70.
LOCH LOMOND (Scotland): Ernie Els stayed on course on Saturday for his fifth title of the year, firing a four-under-par 67 to forge five clear of the field in the Scottish Open third round.
The British Open champion, following opening scores of 64 and 67, mixed five birdies with a bogey in calm but overcast conditions at par-71 Loch Lomond, finishing at 15-under 198.
Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke fired a six-birdie 64 to climb to second place at 10-under 203, level with Britain’s Phillip Price, Els’s playing partner on the day, who returned a 68.
South African Els picked up shots at the third and ninth to reach the turn in two-under 34, at that point still four ahead of the chasing pack.
Further birdies followed at the 345-yard 14th, where he drove the green, and at 15, but the world number two then dropped his only shot of the day at the par-four 16th, where he missed the green with his approach.
However, he bounced back with a fifth birdie at the last to stay on track for his second Scottish Open title, his first coming at the same venue in 2000.
Clarke, who played with Els for the first two days, was delighted with his ball-striking.
Third round scores
198 - Ernie Els (RSA) 64-67-67
203 - Darren Clarke 69-70-64, Phillip Price 67-68-68
205 - Peter O’Malley (AUS) 67-76-62
206 - Ian Poulter 70-68-68, Peter Lonard (AUS) 70-68-68
207 - Alastair Forsyth 72-69-66, Shaun Webster 72-68-67, Bradley Dredge 69-68-70, Gary Murphy 70-69-68, Terry Price 67-68-72, Tim Clark (RSA) 68-68-71
208 - Martin Maritz (RSA) 67-71-70
209 - Nick O’Hern (AUS) 72-72-65, Carl Pettersson (SWE) 69-72-68, Robert Karlsson (SWE) 71-69-69, David Howell 66-73-70, Thomas Bjorn (DEN) 72-70-67
210 - Lee Westwood 71-72-67, Charl Schwarzel (RSA) 75-68-67, Raphael Jacquelin 72-70-68, Brian Davis 71-70-69, Gary Evans 71-71-68, David Lynn 70-70-70
211 - Brett Rumford (AUS) 67-72-72, Roger Chapman 73-70-68, Robert Jan Derksen (NED) 71-72-68, Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL) 69-71-71, Mark Roe 72-68-71, B Benn Barham 72-70-69, Marcel Siem (GER) 69-73-69, Paul Casey 69-74-68.—Reuters