FT WORTH (Texas), May 20: Australian Rod Pampling posted eight birdies as he fired a 7-under-par 63 on Friday to vault into the lead at 10-under after two rounds of the Colonial Championship.
Pampling, tied for 15th place after his opening-round 67, held a one-shot lead over Canadian Stephen Ames, US PGA Tour rookie Charley Hoffman and first-round leader Stewart Cink.
Tied for fifth, two strokes off the lead was Australian Peter Lonard and Americans Tim Herron and Dean Wilson.
Another shot back at 7-under-par 133 were Americans Jim Furyk and Arron Oberholser, Swedes Richard Johnson and Fredrik Jacobson, and Henrik Bjornstad of Norway.
Pampling started his day on the back nine and began with three birdies in a row on his way to his best round of the year, going two strokes lower than the 65 he shot in the second round at Bay Hill, where he won earlier this season.
The Australian made up for his only bogey of the day, at the par-four No 3, with back-to-back birdies from the fifth.
Leading second round scores:
130 – Rod Pampling (Australia) 67, 63.
131 – Stephen Ames (Canada) 65, 66; Charley Hoffman (US) 65, 66; Stewart Cink (US) 64, 67.
132 – Tim Herron (US) 67, 65; Dean Wilson (US) 67, 65; Peter Lonard (Australia) 66, 66.
133 – Jim Furyk (US) 66, 67; Arron Oberholser (US) 65, 68; Richard Johnson (Sweden) 68, 65; Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden) 71, 62; Henrik Bjornstad (Norway) 69, 64.
134 – Nathan Green (Australia) 67 67; Brian Gay (US) 67, 67; Daniel Chopra (Sweden) 70, 64; Zach Johnson (US) 65, 69; David Toms (US) 68, 66.
135 – Chad Campbell (US) 67, 68; Nick O'Hern (Australia) 66, 69; Bo Van Pelt (US) 67, 68.
136 – Kenny Perry (US) 66, 70; Ben Crane (US) 71, 65; Ben Curtis (US) 68, 68.
137 – Jerry Kelly (US) 69, 68; Justin Rose (Britain) 68, 69; Fred Funk (US) 67, 70; Ryan Palmer (US) 66, 71; Woody Austin (US) 72, 65; Bob Estes (US) 69, 68; Camilo Villegas (Colombia) 68, 69; Jerry Smith (US) 71, 66; James Driscoll (US) 69, 68; Steve Flesch (US) 69, 68; Shigeki Maruyama (Japan) 69, 68; Vaughn Taylor (US) 70, 67.
KENNEDY EXTENDS LEAD
MACAU: Brad Kennedy of Australia extended his overnight lead after carding a two-under-par 69 in the third round of the Macau Open on Saturday.
The 31-year-old will go into the final round with a three-stroke lead over countryman Kane Webber, who was even-par for the day.
Australian Steve Elkington, who is a major winner, struggled to a 74 and dropped to tied 20th position.
Thailand's Chinarat Phadungsil shot a 70 and is tied for third with South African Peter Karmis who shot a 72.
Leading third round scores:
202 – Brad Kennedy (Australia) 68, 65, 69.
205 – Kane Webber (Australia) 69, 65, 71.
207 – Chinarat Phadungsil (Thailand) 69, 68, 70; Peter Karmis (South Africa) 71, 64, 72.
208 – Scott Barr (Australia) 71, 68, 69; Marcus Both (Australia) 66, 70, 72; Anthony Kang (US) 69, 67, 72; Scott Strange (Australia) 70, 64, 74.
209 – Chris Rodgers (Britain) 70, 72, 67; Alistair Presnell (Australia) 72, 68, 69; Jason Knutzon (US) 71, 69, 69; Prom Meesawat (Thailand) 70, 69, 70. —Agencies