Fast finish boosts Hietala ahead by two shots at Cox Classic

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OMAHA, Neb. -- With only a week to go until the Olympic Games, Ryan Hietala produced an Olympic performance on Friday to take the lead at the halfway point of the Cox Classic at Champions Run.

Ryan Hietala is among the tournament leaders in all the putting categories. (Badz/PGA TOUR)

Inside the Numbers

Hietala thru 36 Holes

Category Total Rank Eagles 2 T3 Birdies 13 T6 Pars 20 T108 Bogeys 1 T146 Double Bogeys 0 N/A Other 0 N/A Driving Accuracy 64.3% T53 Driving Distance 313.5 yds. 40 Putts per Round 26.0 T3 Putts per GIR 1.552 2 Greens in Regulation 80.6% T22 Sand Saves 0 N/A

Hietala, who was 5 under for the day after starting on No. 10, finished birdie-birdie-eagle to shoot a 9-under 62 for a 126 (-16) total, a tournament record for the opening 36 holes.

David Branshaw (64) is two strokes behind at 14-under 128 after a pair of 64s.

Garth Mulroy (65), a South African who split $3 million with partner, David Ping, at the 2005 Big Stakes Matchplay Championship in Las Vegas, birdied the final two holes to finish at 13-under 129.

Vance Veazey (66) and Alex Prugh (64) are at 12 under, tied for fourth.

Overnight leader D.A.Points (68) is sixth at 11 under.

Four players, including last week's winner, Bill Lunde (64), two-time Nationwide Tour event winner Colt Knost (67), David McKenzie (67) and Bryce Molder (66) are at 10 under.

"The finish kind of jumped up on me," said Hietala, a Boise, Idaho, resident. "I was coasting along at 5 under, then finished 3-2-2. You can't argue with that."

Hietala's eagle at the reachable, par-4 ninth came after a bunt-cut drive that landed perfectly and finished three feet from the flagstick.

Branshaw's finish at the ninth hole was not quite as stylish. A chunked chip left him short of the green, then he holed the next shot for birdie when his caddie handed him his putter.

"For the past two years I've had trouble chipping," said Tampa, Fla., resident Branshaw. "I've chunked chips and I've bladed them. It happens pretty regularly."

Branshaw's putting, however, has been outstanding. He has hit 32 greens in regulation and had 55 putts in 36 holes.

"I worked hard on my putting all year hoping the weeks would come when they started falling," said Branshaw, who has two top-10s in his last three starts. "I've been keeping my head still and it's working."

Veazey, was bogey-free Thursday but mixed three bogeys with eight birdies Friday. The 43-year-old from Memphis, Tenn., finished third at last year's Cox Classic and looks to improve on that this year.

"It's all putting for me," said Veazey. "That's the only reason I'm 12 under. The guys are so good out here you have to make a lot of birdies to keep up."

Hietala stands at 148th on the money list and needs a good finish to get nearer to The 25 and earn his way back to the PGA TOUR, where he played in 2006. Ties for 33rd in Panama at the start of the season, and the Knoxville Open in June, are his best results this year. Ten consecutive missed cuts between those events have not discouraged him.

"I was just getting in my own way," said the 34-year-old. "I got into this habit of playing golf for the wrong reasons. I wasn't playing golf -- I was trying to make the cut. I've always been the one-shot wonder boy -- make the cut or miss by a shot -- or lose by one."

Hietala's attitude and outlook have changed dramatically with the help of friends.

"I've been hanging out with Chris Smith and Chris Anderson, and they tell me, 'Hit that driver as hard as you can -- get over the fear -- get up there and hit it.' I'm kind of excited and surprised. This is the Ryan I know. If I do this the next two days, and the next 10 tournaments, I won't be here next year."

A new job as a speech therapist for Hietala's wife, Jennifer, has also helped.

"The last four years the sole income has been Ryan Hietala and his golf," he explained. "Trying to make cuts to make money and pay bills, it's playing golf for the wrong reasons. Now she is able to contribute, which I think takes the pressure off me."

"It feels good to be here and know I can still do this," added Hietala, as he wound up his interview.

Sounds like something 41-year-old Olympic swimmer,Dara Torres would say.

Second-Round News & Notes: Garrett Osborn withdrew with an injury. ... Kyle Reifers withdrew after five holes due to illness. ... Chris Wiemers (70), a 34-year-old club professional at nearby Happy Hollow Club, had a birdie-birdie-birdie-eagle streak on hole Nos. 6-9. ... Jim Herman (64) holed a 72 yard lob wedge for eagle at the par-4 fifth hole and followed with another eagle on No. 6, the third time back-to-back eagles have been scored at the Cox Classic. Herman's stretch of birdie-eagle-eagle-birdie on hole Nos. 4-7 earned him a front-nine 29 (-6) and a 3-under total, missing the cut by one stroke. ... Nick Malinowski (64) made six birdies in seven holes on Nos. 4-10. ... Andy Bare (Nos. 4 and 9) and Kyle McCarthy (Nos. 9 and 13) both made two eagles. ... Current money leader Jarrod Lyle (67) is tied for 41st. ... The second-round scoring average was 69.493. ... The most difficult hole was No. 2 while the easiest hole was No. 9, with 9 eagles at the short par 4. ... The cut was 4-under-par 138 with 63 players advancing to the weekend. ... Of the 63 players to make the cut, only Chris Kamin (74) and Chris Thompson (72) shot over par Friday.