Nationwide Tour Championship: Second-Round Notebook  PGA TOUR staff • Michael Letzig, currently No. 26 on the money list, increased his lead at the Nationwide Tour Championship at Barona Creek following up a tournament record 60 during the opening round with a second-round 5-under 66. The 27-year-old native of Richmond, Mo. moved to 16 under and a four-stroke lead over Richard Johnson.  Bob Burns won the 1998 Nationwide Tour Championship. (Feldman/WireImage)
• Letzig's 36-hole total of 16-under 126 is a new Nationwide Tour Championship record. The previous best 36-hole mark was held by Justin Bolli (67-64--131) in 2004. Letzig's first two rounds also tops the best opening 36-hole score on Tour in 2007, previously set by Roland Thatcher's 15-under 127 at the Cox Classic. • Letzig's four-stroke cushion equals the largest lead after any round throughout the 15-year history of the Nationwide Tour Championship. The previous largest lead was four strokes after 54 holes in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2005. The previous largest 36-hole lead in tournament history was three strokes by Steve Flesch in 1997. • Richard Johnson and leading money-winner Roland Thatcher made the biggest moves on Friday, firing the day's best round with matching 7-under 64s to move into second and a tie for third place, respectively. • Letzig has now held the lead after a round on five occasions this season. He has held first-round leads at the Rex Hospital Open (eventually finished T23), Peek'n Peak Classic (T23) and Nationwide Tour Championship (TBD), and second-round leads at the HSBC New Zealand PGA Championship (T3) and the Nationwide Tour Championship (TBD). • Nationwide Insurance and the PGA TOUR are donating $100 for every birdie recorded this week for a total donation of $200 per birdie. The money will be directed to the Red Cross Fire Relief Fund to help benefit the victims of last week's fires that raged through San Diego County and other parts of Southern California. On Thursday, there were a total of 257 birdies, resulting in a donation of $51,400. During the second round there were 254 birdies, leading to a donation of $50,800 and bringing the overall total for the week to $102,200. • 1998 champion Bob Burns continues his quest to become the first player to win two Nationwide Tour Championships. The PGA TOUR veteran posted a 6-under 65 on Friday to move to 9-under 133 and a tie for 11th place. Should Burns win, he would become just the eighth player in Tour history to win the same event twice. • Brenden Pappas, who entered the week on the bubble in the No. 25 position on the money list, continues his excellent play, recording a second consecutive 5-under 66 to move to 10-under 132 and a tie for eighth place. His nearest pursuers include the previously-mentioned Letzig, 27th-ranked Tom Scherrer (11-under/T3), 28th-ranked Miguel Carballo (4-under/T34), 29th -ranked Franklin Langham (5-under/T28) and 30th-ranked B.J. Staten (11-under/T3). • The second-round leader has gone on to win eight of 14 events at the Nationwide Tour Championship, including most recently David Branshaw in 2005. • In 2007, the Nationwide Tour has had 10 of 31 second-round leaders eventually step into the winner's circle, including most recently Marc Turnesa at last week's Miccosukee Championship. • Bogey-free rounds on Friday were turned in by Richard Johnson (64), Martin Laird (68), David Hearn (66), Scott Sterling (67), John Riegger (68) and Esteban Toledo (69), bringing the total for the week to 15. |
