Winds, nerves calm for Coles to grab share of the lead

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Stan Badz/PGA TOUR

Coles made only one bogey in the second round, on the par-3 14th.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- When Gavin Coles made a 10-foot putt to get up and down on the first hole, he had a pretty good idea that it was going to be a good day. By the time he reached No. 3 and stuck his approach shot one foot from the hole, he was sure.

After an opening round of 70, the winds and Coles were calmer Friday and he made everything with the flat stick. The Aussie took a share of the clubhouse lead by posting a one of three 64s from the morning groups.

Brian Stuard and Scott Gardiner also carded the same score.

Coles had seven birdies on the day in a nearly spotless round -- minus a bogey at the 14th.

"I really didn't do much wrong today," said Coles, who shot a 65 on Dye's Valley in last year's opening round of the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open. "The pins were a little more generous today and I just seemed to read the greens well."

Had he made a 10-footer on No. 18, he would have tied the course record of 63 set in last year's second round by David Mathis.

"I read it a little bit right," Coles recalls. "The greens don't seem to break much here. I was trying to hit it inside right and I started it too straight and it went left."

Last year, Coles shot 65 at Winn-Dixie en route to a T11 finish. "This was not the same day though," said Coles. "The wind blew the other direction last year."

Coles celebrated his 43rd birthday Wednesday, Oct. 19, and if there's a belated birthday gift that he'll take, it's a PGA TOUR card. He know he'll have to earn it, however.

Coles is headed to Daniel Island next week and ranks 45 on the Nationwide Tour money list entering Winn-Dixie. He hasn't been a member on the PGA TOUR since 2007.

"I'm in the position where you want to be," said Coles. "With TOUR cards on the line, you don't have too many weeks left. It's nice to be in this situation."