At halfway in Xerox Classic, Driscoll takes over lead by himself  PGA TOUR Staff ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- James Driscoll moved out of a share of the first-round lead into sole possession of the lead after Day Two at the Nationwide Tour's $600,000 Xerox Classic.  An uneven lie couldn't knock James Driscoll off his even keel on Friday. (Jim Rogash/WireImage)
After equaling the best opening 18-hole score in Xerox Classic history with a 64 on Thursday, Driscoll posted a 4-under 66 on Friday to move three shots clear of Scott Parel and five clear of last week's Northeast Pennsylvania Classic champion Justin Bolli -- who along with Keoke Cotner posted the day's best round with a 6-under 64. For the second day, a weather delay halted play at the Tour's 23rd event. The one hour and 40 minute delay did little to slow down Driscoll, who came out of the break with two birdies and two pars. "I got a lot out of those last four holes," said Driscoll, who hit 10 of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens. "I made two good pars and two good birdies, so it was a productive delay. I'm getting a lot out of my rounds this week." Play was halted at 5:00 p.m., just before Driscoll was to attempt a 12-foot par putt on the par-3 15th hole -- the result of an over-ambitious 9-iron over the green and the ensuing chip shot. After the break, Driscoll drained the putt, followed by another par save from six feet on the par-4 16th hole. He closed with birdies on the closing two holes -- thanks to 11-foot and 14-foot birdie putts. The excellent finish helped him extend his bogey-free streak to 36 holes. "I didn't feel good about my game before the delay," said Driscoll, winner of the 2004 Virginia Beach Open. "My swing didn't feel good and my putter didn't feel good. But I found something during the delay that helped me. I was holding my hands a little too low with the putter. I wasn't putting bad before the delay, but I just wasn't comfortable." Parel, a 42-year-old resident of Augusta, Ga., jumped out of the gates early with a 5-under 30 on the opening nine holes at the par-70 Irondequoit Country Club and then cruised to a 5-under 65. "I struck the ball really well on the front nine," said Parel, who capped off the nine with an eagle on the par-5 ninth hole. "I missed a few putts coming in unfortunately, but I made my share too. I had a lot of expectations (this week) because I knew you have to drive it well here." Parel is playing his best golf of the season, making his fourth straight made cut -- just one shy of a personal-best five straight during the 2006 season. He recently finished tied for seventh place at the Price Cutter Charity Championship -- one of just four career top-10 finishes in 73 previous starts. "I've been playing pretty well lately," said Parel, who hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation. "The finish in Springfield turned my year around. I had missed six straight cuts up to that point but this is now four in a row. It was a nice feeling today. Even in Springfield on Friday ... I've played well but it has been a grind to stay inside the cut line on the back nine. But today after the front nine I was glad the cut wasn't an issue." Parel started his competitive golf career later than most, as the 42-year-old turned professional in 1996 -- nearly 10 years after graduating from the University of Georgia with a Computer Science degree. Even after turning pro -- and winning tournaments on the mini-tours -- Parel continued his career as a Computer Programming Analyst. "I got through the first stage in 1996," said Parel, who has made the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament an annual pilgrimage every year since. "At the time it was a good accomplishment. I didn't make it through the second stage but at that point I had the bug. I kept working and got more and more miserable behind the desk." Parel would then go on to play on various tours, including the TearDrop Tour, DP Tour and the Tar Heel Tour. He finally made it to the Nationwide Tour in 2003 -- and he has also played the last three seasons. He has had limited success so far in his career though -- having made the cut in just 23 of 74 tournaments. "At that time I had a three-to-five year plan," said Parel, referring to his pro debut in 1996. "Obviously we're past that point now. But I'm doing the thing that I love to do the most. I've had four or five good jobs, but once I got out here there's nothing I'd rather do." Second-Round News & Notes: The cut came at 2-over 142 with 66 players advancing to the weekend. ... Scott Gardiner, at 5-over 145, saw his Tour-leading consecutive cuts made streak snapped at 11. ... The 36-hole leader has gone on to win eight of 22 events this season. ... In the first two editions of the Xerox Classic, Rick Price is the only winner who also held the lead after 36 holes. ... For the second straight day, there were four bogey-free rounds: Justin Bolli (64), Keoke Cotner (64), Jason Day (66) and James Driscoll (66). ... Tommy Biershenk, Brad Ott, John Kimbell, Steve Pate and Jason Enloe withdrew on Friday. |
