Rose fires 63 to lead by four after two rounds
CROMWELL, Conn. -- Justin Rose kept his driver in the bag for most of his round Friday, and it turned out to be a wise choice.
The 25-year-old Englishman shot a 7-under 63 to take a four-stroke lead after two rounds of the Buick Championship.
Bogey-free through 36 holes, Rose played himself into contention for his first PGA Tour win, moving to 12-under 128, his lowest two-round total of the year.
Former British Open champ and first-round co-leader Ben Curtis (68) and Kevin Sutherland (67) are tied for second at 8 under. Dean Wilson (66) and Chris Smith (67) are five strokes off the lead.
Rose teed off in the afternoon, just as the fairways were firming up on the 6,820-yard TPC at River Highlands. He opted for his 3-wood and 5-wood off the tee on the back nine.
"It got pretty hot, so the ball was going a long way," Rose said. "I managed to pull back, leave the driver in the bag and put it in play."
Rose, who has won four times in international play, has not finished better than third on the PGA Tour. He's been in the last group three times in tour events heading into a Saturday, including last year's Masters.
This time, he'll be paired with Curtis, with whom he shared the second-round lead in last year's Memorial.
"Ben's a friend of mine. It'll be a fun day," Rose said.
Rose is making his second straight appearance at the Buick Championship. Although he finished in the money tied for 71st, he never broke par all week.
"I've learned this is a course you have to give a little bit of respect to," Rose said.
Curtis, winless since the British Open win, is proving to be a quick learner in Cromwell, never seeing the course before this week. He was scheduled to play at the Buick Championship in 2003, immediately following the British Open, but pulled out, citing fatigue. This week he's strung together two consecutive rounds in the 60s for only the second time this year. He's seen the course play long in his afternoon round Thursday and softer on Friday morning.
"Depending on how the course plays tomorrow, I'll feel prepared and ready to go," Curtis said.
Sutherland had to scramble to stay in contention. He began one stroke back at 5 under and birdied three of his first five holes. But he stumbled on his ninth, 10 and 12th hole and slipped on the leaderboard. He finished with a flourish, however, making birdie on his last three holes to finish with a score of 3 under.
Joey Sindelar had the best round of the day with an 8-under 62, and he needed it to stay around for the weekend. After a forgettable 5-over 75 to start the tournament, Sindelar didn't make a mistake on Friday and ran off a string of five straight birdies on the back nine. He was one of 77 golfers to make the cut, which was an even-par 140.
U.S. Open fan favorite Jason Gore also scrambled to make the cut, shooting a 5-under 65 to finish at 1 under after opening with a 74. Defending champ Woody Austin had two rounds in the 60s and is nine strokes off the lead at 3 under.
Among those missing the cut were Fred Funk, and former Buick Championship winners Olin Browne and Brent Geiberger.
Although eager to tee off on Saturday, Rose said he understands there's a lot of golf left to play. He followed up his second-round lead in the Masters with an 9-over 81 on Saturday, matching Lee Trevino for the worst third-round total ever by a 36-hole leader at Augusta.
"I've learned it's a million miles from winning the tournament," he said. "There's no point thinking about winning until Sunday. It can only get in your way until then."
Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press
