Second round: 36-hole lead helps Stroud forget injuries
SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Former Lamar University star Chris Stroud moved into position to make a big jump on the PGA TOUR money list, shooting a 6-under 64 on Friday to take a two-stroke lead after the second round of the Valero Texas Open.
The 26-year-old Stroud, 209th on the money list in an injury-plagued season, had a 10-under 130 total on the La Cantera Golf Club's Resort Course.
A two-time All-America selection and four-time Southland Conference player of the year at Lamar in Beaumont, Stroud had three birdies and a bogey on the first five holes, added a birdie on No. 9 and also birdied 11, 13 and 15.
"I feel like I am an old man with all the ice I've been using this year," Stroud said. "I've put it on my knees, my arms, my wrist, anything that hurts."
Paul Goydos (66), Tim Petrovic (65) and 1997 winner Tim Herron (67) were two strokes back, and one-time San Antonio resident Kevin Streelman (63) and Rory Sabbatini (66) topped a large group at 7 under.
"Anytime you're within two to four shots of the lead going to the weekend, you feel you're in good shape. Unless you're following Tiger," Herron said.
Defending champion Justin Leonard, the former University of Texas star seeking a record fourth victory in the event, shot a 69 to make the cut by a stroke at 1 under.
Stroud finished the sunny day with his first solo lead in two seasons on the PGA TOUR. His best career finish was a tie for fifth last year in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He tied for 12th this year in the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun, but has withdrawn from three tournaments because of injuries.
He twisted his left knee at the AT&T National Pro-AM in February and has battled an assortment of injuries.
"It felt like a needle was sticking into my knee every time I tried to swing," Stroud said. "It was just getting worse and worse. I thought I might be done for the year and take a major medical exemption."
"The absolute worst was the Canadian Open this year. I had a downhill lie in deep rough. I swung at the ball and it brought tears to my eyes."
Streelman shot a 6-under 29 on the front nine en route to his 63.
"There are certain scores a golfer always wants to shoot and 29 is one of them," Streelman said.
First-round leader Nathan Green began his round with a bogey, double bogey and bogey and finished with 75 -- 13 shots higher than his opening 62.
"I just wasn't a good day at all," the Australian said.
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The par-5, 527-yard fifth was the easiest with a Friday scoring average of 4.677.
The par-3, 186-yard 17th was the toughest with a Friday scoring average of 3.228.
Joe Ogilvie remained among the leaders after chipping in at the par-3 13th. 
Kevin Streelman's 63 is the third time the rookie has shot under 64 on the PGA TOUR (2008 Travelers Championship, 63 in Round 2, 62 in Round 3). | QUOTE OF THE DAY | ||
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AFTER DRY SUMMER, GOYDOS CRACKING JOKES AGAIN
By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent
SAN ANTONIO -- Seven tournaments. Three missed cuts, including his first British Open. One WD. Two mediocre finishes.
Not the best summer, but nothing out of the ordinary.
"Dark period,'' Paul Goydos said.
And yes, we chuckled.
Those glib one-liners from Long Beach State's front man and everyone's favorite Dirtbag -- the baseball team's idea of a great nickname -- have a way of cutting right to the chase. No excuses. No might haves. Or could haves.
Goydos plays life as it lies. He embraces the lean times on the same way he does weeks like this year's THE PLAYERS Championship where he pushed Sergio Garcia into a playoff before walking away with a world of respect and new fans -- but no trophy.
To read the remainder of this story, click here.
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INSIDE THE ROPES WITH THE PGA TOUR NETWORK
XM Satellite Radio announcer Fred Albers offers these observations from Friday's action. Listen to PGA TOUR Live coverage on XM 146 or right here at PGATOUR.COM.
If Chris Stroud does not win the Valero Texas Open this weekend, it won't be from lack of preparation. Five hours after finishing his round, Stroud was on the chipping green still practicing his stroke.
Stroud is from Beaumont, a Texas town where hurricanes rolled through this fall.
| 1.846 | Chris Stroud's putting average before the Valero Texas Open |
| 1.607 | Chris Stroud's putting average through two rounds of the 2008 Valero Texas Open |
"I'd like to be able to donate some money to the families if I play well this weekend," said Stroud.
Several friends will make the drive from Beaumont to San Antonio to cheer him.
Jeff Overton had seen enough putts miss the cup, so he decided to change things. In the middle of his second round, Overton moved his ball position while putting. He placed the ball a little further up in his stance and placed a little more weight on his left side. Overton saw immediate results with birdies on three of his next six holes shooting a 6 under par 64. He is 7 under for the tournament and just three shots off the lead.
THE 17TH EASES UP A TAD ON FRIDAY
Par-3s on the PGA TOUR that measure under 200 yards are usually considered birdie holes for the top players in the world.
Usually. Not at La Cantera Golf Club.
The hole is just 186 yards, but the green is extremely narrow, and a pair of deep bunkers guard each side. In the first round, the hole was the toughest on the course because the pin was set on the front of the green in an area very difficult to access with a mid-iron.
In the second round, the pin was generously placed on the back middle part of the green, and players found the going a little easier, although the hole was still ranked as the hardest on the course. Most of the leaders managed to par the hole, but the hole still had its pitfalls.
Matt Jones, who shot 64, made his only bogey on the day when he pushed a six-iron way right and had to take a drop.
"[I] sank a 10-footer for bogey, that easily could have been double," Jones said. "I played well, done a lot of good work to get to 7-under for the day and to throw it away [on] a double on a par 3, [I] wouldn't be too happy."
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| Avoiding trouble at the par-3 17th has been key to staying on the leaderboard: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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VALERO TEXAS OPEN: SECOND-ROUND NOTEBOOK
By Chris Reimer, PGA TOUR Staff
• Tim Petrovic is ranked No. 123 on the PGA TOUR Money List. A good finish this week would help the 42-year-old Austin, Texas, resident secure his 2009 PGA TOUR card. This is Petrovic's seventh consecutive year playing in the Valero Texas Open. He has yet to record a top-10 finish. The 65 matches his lowest round in 22 rounds at La Cantera with the second round of last year's event and the third round in 2003. Only once has Petrovic recorded all four rounds in the 60s -- 2003 T24.
• Another familiar face for local fans, San Antonio's Jimmy Walker finished his second round at 7-under-par for the tournament. The 2004 Nationwide Tour Player of the year ranks No. 191 on the 2008 PGA TOUR Money List.
• Sponsor Exemption Michael Thompson, a 2008 first-team All-American at Alabama playing in his first PGA TOUR event as a professional shot a second-round 5-under-par 65 to move to 7-under for the tournament. The runner-up in the 2007 U.S. Amateur, was named the 2008 Southeastern Conference Golfer of the Year and was medalist at the 2008 SEC Championships.
To read the remainder of the notes from Round 2, click here.
GREEN GOES THE OTHER WAY IN SECOND ROUND
Call it unlucky 13. As in a 13-shot difference between an opening 62 and a second-round 75.
One minute, Nathan Green is leading the Valero Texas Open, the next, he's seven shots back.
Green got off to a horrid bogey-double-bogey- bogey start on the first three holes. An opening bogey was bad enough, but his tee shot at the 11th -- his second hole -- left him off the charts. It took him two shots to get back to the fairway. Then, once he got onto the green, he two-putted.
He turned in 40 and finally got his first birdie of the day -- a 10-footer -- at the fourth hole.
He gave one back at the seventh, then birdied the ninth hole from 13 feet to finish the day on a high note.
THINGS TO WATCH ON SATURDAY
1. Matt Jones. The young Aussie insists he isn't worried about q-school (he sits 124th on the money list), and we believe him. But he must score better on the weekends to win on the PGA TOUR. He's opened several times with two strong rounds only to shoot around par on the weekend. He ranks 91st in scoring average before the cut, but 183rd in final-round scoring.
2. Paul Goydos. The 43-year-old scrapper out of Long Beach has played La Cantera's par-3s in three under. On a par-70 course, that is a crucial stat.
3. Tim Herron. Herron is only two shots back despite a few hiccups in San Antonio. His last win was in Texas, and it would shock no one if he does it again.
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