Regions Charity Classic: Second-Round Notebook
By Dave Senko, PGA TOUR Staff
HOOVER, Ala. -- Andy Bean's 36-hole total of 11-under-par 133 ties his career low for 36 holes which he set at the 2006 Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn. Bean's 36-hole total of 133 is the best 36-hole total in this tournament since it moved to Ross Bridge in 2006.
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• Andy Bean has led or been tied for the lead going into the final round of a Champions tour event three times. He tied for second at the 2007 Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am, won the 2006 Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn in a playoff, and withdrew from the 2004 Farmers Charity Classic.
• In the previous 16 events, seven players who have led or been tied for the lead after 36 holes have gone on to win the tournament. From 1995-2001, it only happened in odd years: Graham Marsh (1995), Jay Sigel (1997), Larry Nelson (1999) and Hale Irwin (2001). George Archer (1992), Bruce Fleisher (2004) and D.A. Weibring (2005) were the others. So far in 2008, only four of 11 second-round leaders/co-leaders has gone on to win on the Champions Tour this year.
• Andy Bean will be seeking his first win since claiming the 2006 Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn, where he defeated R.W. Eaks in a one-hole playoff. This is his 40th start since that victory.
• Andy Bean has the fewest putts after two rounds with 51, while Wayne Levi leads all players in Greens in Regulation at 88.89% (32 of 36). Bean also leads all players with 13 birdies.
• Mike Goodes is bidding to become the first open qualifier to win an event since Pete Oakley prevailed at the 2004 Senior British Open. Goodes shot 69 in the qualifier at Farm Links in Sylacauga, Ala.
• The winner of this year's Regions Charity Classic will earn 255 points in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup race. Bernhard Langer continues to lead with 911 points, but Scott Hoch closed the gap with his tie for second at the FedEx Kinko's Classic two weeks ago, and now has 820 points, while Jay Haas is third with 692 points.
• The others in the top five are Tom Watson and Denis Watson with 633 and 599 points, respectively. Andy Bean is currently tied for 42nd in the race. The program offers $2.1 million in tax-deferred annuity payouts to the five leading finishers, with the winner receiving a $1-million payout.
• Tim Simpson is a combined 8 under par through two rounds on the par-5 holes, making birdie on all eight. He is the only player in the field to have done so. He is currently tied for 16th at 4-under-par 140.
• Denis Watson, who has already won two titles this year in come-from-behind fashion, is currently tied for third at 9-under-par 135. He trails Andy Bean by two strokes. Earlier this year, Watson came from seven strokes to win the AT&T Champions Classic and came from five strokes back two weeks ago to win the FedEx Kinko's Classic.
• Denis Watson is bidding to become the third player to win back-to-back titles, joining Tom Watson, who won the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am and the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Andy North) and Scott Hoch, who won the Allianz Championship and The ACE Group Classic earlier.
• With Mike Goodes joining Andy Bean and Denis Watson in the final group, he is first open qualifier to play in the final group since Ray Stewart at last fall's Boeing Classic near Seattle. Stewart eventually finished tied for eighth.
• Jim Dent matched his age on Saturday, shooting a 3-under-par 69. Dent bettered his age by one stroke in the second round at this event a year ago.
• One of the more interesting final-round pairings is Loren Roberts, Joey Sindelar and Mike Hulbert. Sindelar and Hulbert are long-time friends from Horseheads, N.Y.
• Once again, lift, clean and place rules were in effect and the field scoring average was 71.603, a drop from 72.462 on Friday. On Saturday, there were 41 scores below par compared to 33 on Friday.
• D.A. Weibring, the 2005 winner of this event, will have more than passing interest in Sunday's final round at the Nationwide Tour's BMW Charity Pro-Am. Weibring's son, Matt, is currently second heading into the final round. He trails David Mathis by one stroke.
• Walter Hall and Tom Jenkins are the only players without a bogey through 36 holes. In fact, Hall has a run of 53 straight holes without a bogey at Ross Bridge, while Jenkins has 40 straight.
• Lonnie Nielsen made one of the day's biggest moves, jumping 33 spots (tied for 45th/tied for 12th) following a 6-under-par 66. He had opened with a 1-over-par 73. Gene Jones moved up 39 places (tied for 61st/tied for 22nd) after shooting a 6-under-par 66, one of four players to shoot that score, matching the day's low round.
• The hardest hole in Round 2 was the par-4 7th (4.192/+.192). No. 8 played as the second most difficult (4.167/+.167). The par-5 13th hole played as the easiest (4.603/-.397) and yielded 30 birdies.
• With the possibility of inclement weather Sunday afternoon, final-round play will begin at 8:30 a.m. CT with players going off both the No. 1 and No. 10 tees.
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