Hot blasts of wind on a diabolical course made The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., tough enough to turn someone's hair gray. Not that the leaders needed any help with that yesterday.
Kenny Perry, who first showed up at Sawgrass 20 years ago, kept his wits and his patience in 35-mph gusts and made only one bogey in a solid round of 2-under 70 that gave him a one-shot lead at 6-under going into the weekend.
He will be paired with Bernhard Langer, who already has won twice this year – on the Champions Tour.
The two-time Masters champion and former Ryder Cup captain thought about withdrawing Thursday morning when he felt pain in his lower back, which caused his groin and left knee to ache, along with his left shoulder. All those creaking joints, and Langer, 50, still managed to produce a 67 and entertain hopes of winning against kids who weren't even born when he won his first Masters.
Paul Goydos, 43, also was one shot behind after a 71.
Meanwhile, Charley Hoffman (Poway High) missed a 20-inch putt, then did something just about every golfer has at least considered after one shot or another. He threw his club.
Hoffman flung his putter into the murky water next to the 13th green, a frustrating response to a double bogey that delighted the crowd and sent the 31-year-old player into a tailspin. Hoffman declined comment after he shot 83 in the second round and badly missed the cut at 15-over. He was 7-over when he reached the par-3 13th and needed a few birdies to make it to the weekend.
Also, Jeff Maggert withdrew from tournament, telling tournament officials that his older brother, Barry, died Thursday in a small-plane crash in Colorado en route to his son's college graduation.
Sorenstam leads Ochoa
Lorena Ochoa started with a birdie, pulling her even with Annika Sorenstam, the playing partner she replaced at the top of the world rankings.
Two holes later, Sorenstam answered. And then again at the 16th, rolling in a birdie putt from about 8 feet after Ochoa briefly drew even with a tap-in.
So it went in the Michelob Ultra Open in Williamsburg, Va., where sometimes driving rain and two rain delays did little to put a damper on a friendly duel between the game's best players.
Sorenstam followed a 64 with a 66, leaving her at 12-under, three better than Ochoa, whose bogey at the last hole gave her a 68, and Jeong Jang, who matched Sorenstam with her 66.
Karlsson leads Italian
Sweden's Robert Karlsson shot a course-record 11-under 61 to take a two-stroke lead after the second round of the Italian Open in Milan.
