Second round: Van Pelt still bogey-free after 36 holes
GRAND BLANC, Mich. (AP) -- The PGA TOUR's optimistic view of life without Tiger Woods is that it gives unheralded players a chance in the spotlight.
Bo Van Pelt is trying to take advantage.
Van Pelt shot a 6-under 66 Friday at the Buick Open, making him a career-best 14-under 130 through 36 holes and the second-round leader by two shots.
He missed out on his best chance to win for the first time in seven PGA TOUR seasons at the Puerto Rico Open presented by Banco Popular, where he led for three-plus rounds before losing by a stroke to first-time winner Greg Kraft.
"The more I put myself in that position, one of these Sundays is going to be my day," he said.
Daniel Chopra (67) and Dudley Hart (68) head into the weekend at 12 under, two shots behind Van Pelt.
Woody Austin (67) was another stroke back along with Matt Jones (63).
While some relative unknowns fill the leaderboard at a tournament expecting to feature Woods before he had season-ending knee surgery, the top players are failing to dominate.
Jim Furyk (No. 12), Justin Leonard (No. 23) and Kenny Perry (No. 27) are the only players among the top 30 in the world at Warwick Hills, where just nine of the top 50 players in the world ranking are competing.
Perry (67) fared the best of the trio of standouts, trailing Van Pelt by six shots. Leonard (68) was nine strokes back, and Furyk was another shot behind after following up a solid first round with an even-par 72.
Rocco Mediate (69) made the cut at 4 under in his first tournament since pushing Woods for five-plus rounds in the U.S. Open before coming up just short in a dramatic matchup watched by millions.
"I got some sleep and I played a little bit better," Mediate said.
Van Pelt is doing his best to make a name for himself at Warwick Hills with a bogey-free 36 holes after starting the week 108th on the money list.
Van Pelt and wife Carrie sell nutritional products and his father is a former NFL player.
No, not five-time Pro Bowl linebacker Brad Van Pelt.
It's Bob Van Pelt, who was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1967.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
"I always root for my buddies, but I would just like to finish one shot better." -- Dudley Hart, on how he deals with playing with friends on the PGA TOUR
VAN PELT: GO LOW, OR FORGET VICTORY
By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.com Chief of Correspondents
GRAND BLANC, Mich. -- Bo Van Pelt knew better than to be complacent.
Sure, he'd just slept on a share of the lead at the Buick Open after a sizzling 64 in the first round. Warwick Hills was being extremely generous, though, and there was no reason to expect that to change.
So when Van Pelt stepped to the 10th tee to start his second round Friday morning, more than a little sleepy at 7:18 a.m., he knew he had to stay aggressive. And that's exactly what he did in shooting a 66 that kept him atop the leaderboard at 14 under.
"I wanted to try to forget about yesterday," Van Pelt explained. "I knew the scores were going to be low again, and if I wanted to stay near the top, I needed to keep going forward. That's just kind of what I kept telling myself all day, even after I got off to a good start was just trying to keep ... making birdies."
Mission accomplished. The 33-year-old self-described "normal, Midwestern guy" hasn't made a bogey in his first two rounds and owns a two-stroke advantage entering the weekend as he chases what would be his first PGA TOUR win.
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LIVE@ TIMES ADJUSTED FOR ROUND 3
The threat of rain will cause some adjustments for our exclusive LIVE@ coverage of Warwick Hills' 17th hole.
Players will tee off in threesomes from both tees from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET. Our LIVE@ coverage is scheduled to run from 12:30 p.m. ET to 6 p.m. ET.
More information: PGATOUR.COM's LIVE@ Coverage
EASY BIRDIES, DIFFICULT BUNKER SHOTS
To say Daniel Chopra didn't have to work very hard for his birdies Friday wouldn't be fair.
Consider this, though. His first five birdie putts could be measured in inches -- 13, 21, 8, 4 and 14, to be exact. Of course, the 4-inch putt came after a 33-foot eagle attempt, but why split hairs?
The only birdie putt Chopra had to mark was the final 8-footer on the seventh hole. "It was one of those rounds of golf where all of my birdies were tap-ins," said the Swede, who is tied for second at 12 under.
| 1 | Combined bogeys made by Bo Van Pelt, Dudley Hart and Daniel Chopra on Friday (Chopra, second hole). |
| 34 | Putts taken by Corey Pavin in his round of 74. He had 21 on Thursday. |
Actually, the most memorable shot Chopra hit, though, came at the eighth hole where he found his ball against the back face of a greenside bunker about two feet below the lip. He couldn't stand in the bunker, so Chopra decided to kneel in the grass above it to hit the shot, which landed -- you guessed it -- inches from the pin.
"It's a shot that I used to play and practice as a kid," he said. "We used to have little chipping games around the greens and used to find the most difficult spots. ... I said, well, I hit this shot before, years ago, but I've hit it so let's go ahead and try it. I nearly holed it, so it worked out just perfect."
Chopra teed off at 7:27 a.m. Friday and was done around noon. He planned to spend the afternoon at the TPC Michigan, where he'll play in a 36-hole British Open qualifier on Monday.
"I've never seen it before, so I'm going to take this afternoon, the time that I have, to get to know that place and come back later in the evening," Chopra said. "Should provide a good distraction, as well, and get away from the tournament a little bit."
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DESPITE OBSTACLES AND STRUGGLES, DEMSEY RIGHT UP THERE
Friday's round of 67 has put Todd Demsey in position for his best finish on the PGA TOUR.
Demsey is in contention at 9 under after making 12 birdies, one eagle and five bogeys over the first two rounds. Demsey's rounds of 68-67 at Warwick Hills are his first two in the 60s since February.
Demsey, who has undergone surgery twice in the last six years on a benign brain tumor, missed his first eight cuts of the season. He's cashed checks in two of his last three starts, though, and a big weekend could turn things around for the Arizona State product.
Demsey also was a member of the PGA TOUR in 1997 when he posted what remains his best finish, a tie for 24th at the Greater Vancouver Open. He is ranked No. 751 in the world and earned a return trip to the PGA TOUR by making it through the finals of the PGA TOUR Qualifying School last December.
• Video: Demsey, wife share story of his comeback on the PGA TOUR 
THINGS TO WATCH ON SATURDAY
1. The weather. The Midwest is typically bothered by summertime storms, and Saturday is expected to have some action on the weather front. Players will tee off in threesomes on both the No. 1 and No. 10 tees.
2. Woody Austin. Austin can make birdies in bunches, and it would surprise no one if he comes out of the woodwork to snatch the lead in the third round. He's due. He's been hitting the ball great and putting well.
3. The chance for a first-time winner. The leaderboard is loaded with guys that have been able to score a runner-up finish (Bo Van Pelt, Ken Duke, Bubba Watson) but not a win. Can Moving Day be a precursor to victory?
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