The Daily Wrap-up, Round 2: Valero Texas Open

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Justin Leonard is trying to win the Valero Texas Open for a fourth time and is three back heading into the weekend.

May. 15, 2009

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Paul Goydos remembered hitting one mediocre shot Friday in the Valero Texas Open, but not any bad ones.

RELATED LINKS

Leaderboard: Round 2 scores

Round 3 tee times
The Live Report: Round 2
Scorecard: Paul Goydos
Notebook: Tidbits from the course
Player interviews
Photos: Round 2

VIDEO

Round 2 highlights
Shot of the Day
PGA TOUR Today

Goydos followed his opening 7-under 63 with a 65 to reach 12 under on the LaCantera Golf Club course -- three strokes ahead of three-time champion Justin Leonard and four others. It's the biggest lead Goydos has ever had on the PGA TOUR.

"It's just kind of like being the pace car, for lack of a better word," the 44-year-old Goydos said. "We're going to go out and play two more rounds of golf, but the tournament's going to be in front of me tomorrow, which is kind of cool."

Goydos had six birdies after dropping a stroke on his first hole, the par-4 10th,

"This is why you play. If I wasn't comfortable where I am right now, I need to find another profession," said Goydos, the 1996 Bay Hill and 2007 Sony Open in Hawaii winner. "This is why we play, practice and endure rough weeks, so we learn something, to improve and get better. And tomorrow is going to be another chapter in that learning process of becoming a better player."

Leonard, tied with Goydos after the first round, shot a 68 to join Scott Sterling (63), John Mallinger (64), Mathias Gronberg (65) and Ted Purdy (67) at 9 under.

Gronberg opened the tournament with a 66, then went to work quickly chasing Goydos. Using a pitching wedge, he holed out for eagle from 123 yards on the par-4 12th and followed with birdies on the next two holes.

"It's a good place for me," said Gronberg, who finished third in 2007. "Normally certain players play good in certain places, and this golf course has been very good to me over the years."

Defending champion Zach Johnson was seven strokes back after a 67.

"Maybe a little polishing on the weekend, and hopefully we can make a push," Johnson said.

• To read the remainder of this story, click here.

Top 5 other notables at the Valero Texas Open

Name	Score	Position	Comment	Saturday tee time (ET)
Justin Leonard	68 (2 under)	T2	A four-birdie, two-bogey effort was hardly the best round Leonard has ever shot at LaCantera, but it was enough to keep him in contention.	2 p.m.
Lee Janzen	68 (2 under)	T14	Janzen managed just two birdies, but he was bogey-free in Round 2 and as long as he continues to putt well he'll remain in the hunt.	12:50 p.m.
Zach Johnson	67 (3 under)	T18	The defending champion continued to struggle with the putter on Friday, taking 29 putts, but the rest of his game was good enough to keep in it.	12:40 p.m.
David Duval	69 (1 under)	T18	What looked like a spectacular round as Duval pulled within one of the lead turned mediocre on the back nine with some costly bogeys.	12:11 p.m.
Chris DiMarco	66 (4 under)	T50	Headed for a missed cut after an opening 72, DiMarco had six birdies and no bogeys as he found more fairways and greens in Round 2.	10:05 a.m.

Friday's Best

EASIEST HOLE	TOUGHEST HOLE
The 527-yard par-5 14th hole was easiest with a Friday scoring average of 4.400. EAGLES: 8 BIRDIES: 84 PARS: 55 BOGEYS: 8 OTHERS: 0	The 415-yard par-4 12th hole was toughest with a Friday scoring average of 4.329. EAGLES: 1 BIRDIES: 11 PARS: 97 BOGEYS: 35 OTHERS: 11

SHOT OF THE DAY	ROUND OF THE DAY
John Mallinger chipped in for eagle on the par-5 14th hole after flying his second shot over the green in two. Watch his shot	Paul Goydos continued his hot play Friday, making six birdies on his way to a three-shot lead. Check out his scorecard

QUOTE OF THE DAY

	"It's just kind of like being the pace car. We're going to go out and play two more rounds of golf, but the tournament's going to be in front of me tomorrow, which is kind of cool. If I wasn't comfortable where I am right now, I need to find another profession." -- Paul Goydos on leading going into the weekend
Transcripts:	Paul Goydos	Justin Leonard	More

INSIDE THE ROPES WITH THE PGA TOUR NETWORK
PGA TOUR Network correspondent Brett Wright offers these observations from Friday's action. Listen to PGA TOUR Live coverage on XM 146/SIRIUS 209 or right here at PGATOUR.COM.

John Mallinger shot a 6-under 64 in the second round to finish at 9 under heading into the weekend. The fine round was fueled by a chip-in eagle on the par-5 14th hole. Mallinger hit his second shot over the green and was behind the CBS TV tower. He got a free drop from the temporary imoveable obstruction and from there needed to bounce his chip shot into the closely mown area behind the green a couple of times and let it release up to the hole. His chip came out a little hot and only bounced once before bounding onto the green. His ball was steaming when it hit the flagstick dead center and went down. Had it missed the stick, he would have been well off the front of the green. Remember the old expression about how it's better to be lucky than good? John Mallinger was both.

Swedes have typically played well here at the Valero Texas Open. This year is no exception with Matias Gronberg posting a second-round 65 to finish at 9 under, and Frederick Jacobson posting a pair of 66s to finish at 8 under through 36 holes.

Brian Davis added to his streak of rounds at par or better with a 3-under 67 Friday to extend the streak to 14 straight.

Conditions in Round 2 were similar to Round 1, but late in the day the greens were all turning brown as the Bent grass overseed was dying out and the dormant Bermuda grass was coming up. This is leaving some blank spots in the canopy of the green, causing some consternation on shorter putts. They have rolled fairly true all week, but watch for the short putts to get more difficult through the weekend.

SECOND-ROUND NOTEBOOK: VALERO TEXAS OPEN
By Doug Milne, PGA TOUR Staff

SAN ANTONIO -- Seventy-six players made the 36-hole cut at 1-under 139.

• At 44 years, 10 months and 26 days, Round 1 leader, Paul Goydos sits atop the Valero Texas Open leaderboard for the second day in a row, this time alone, after firing a 5-under 65 giving him a three-shot lead at 12 under in his 416th career PGA TOUR start. The three-stroke lead is the biggest of his career after any round.

• This marks the sixth time in his career that Goydos has held at least a share of the 36-hole lead. Of the previous five, he was only capable of converting one into victory (2007 Sony Open in Hawaii).

• This marks the 12th time Goydos has competed in the Valero Texas Open, dating back to 1993. Of the previous 11, he has never missed a cut. In addition, he finished tied for seventh in 2003 and tied for eighth in 2006. Last year, he finished tied for 19th.

• To read the remainder of this story, click here.

This week's Kodak Challenge hole

HOLE: The par-4, 380-yard 16th at LaCantera
LAST YEAR: The 16th played to a stroke average of 3.980, with players recording 1 eagle, 82 birdies, 260 pars, 55 bogeys and 9 double bogeys.
DESCRIPTION: The day's flagstick placement is the key in determining a successful playing strategy on this drivable par 4. A three-quarter-acre fairway bunker dominates the left side of the fairway, and the player has the option of trying to drive the green or laying up over the single pot bunker in the center of the fairway. The lay-up shot will leave the player a short approach to the largest, most heavily contoured green on the LaCantera layout. Tiger Woods drove the green in 1996 but three-putted for par. (Click here for LaCantera tour)

This week at the Kodak Challenge hole

Round-by-round statistics on the par-4 16th at LaCantera