Golf Roundup : Eagle-2 Helps Green Shoot 65,Tie Sluman

Ken Green made an eagle-2 in a round of 65 Friday that lifted him into a tie for the lead at the halfway point of the $750,000 Canadian Open golf tournament at Oakville, Canada.

“It’s been over two months since I’ve even sniffed a good round,” Green said after completing two trips over the Glen Abbey Golf Club course in Ontario in 135.

He was tied with first-round leader Jeff Sluman, who slipped to a 71.

“The course will get back at you,” said Sluman, the PGA champion, who opened this tournament with a 64.

“I played about like I did yesterday, I just didn’t score as well,” he said. “I had four or five putts that ran over the lip of the cup. Yesterday, I made ‘em all. That’s the difference.”

Jack Nicklaus also found some differences on the course he designed as a permanent home for this national championship.

After a solid 68 in the first round, Nicklaus had to birdie the last three holes for a wildly-erratic 74 that included five birdies, seven bogeys and only six pars. He scored only one par on the back nine.

At 142, he was seven shots behind with two rounds to go in the one important tournament he has not won.

He was not alone in his difficulties, however.

Greg Norman shot a second 74 and failed to qualify for the final two rounds. It marked the first time in two years the Australian star had missed the cut in a PGA Tour event.

Andy Dillard made the cut, but had the day’s biggest drop-off, soaring from an opening-round 65 to a 79.

Tom Byrum was one stroke back of the co-leaders after his second 68.

Larry Mize, with a 71, and Jay Delsing, with a 67, were another stroke behind at 137. Bob Lohr and Tim Norris were at 138. Lohr had a 66 and Norris a 68.

Green, in a deep slump since losing a playoff in the Westchester Classic in June, hit a 166-yard 7-iron shot into the cup for an eagle-2 on the first hole and did not make a bogey in the best round of the day.

He birdied the fourth hole from 15 feet and the 12th from 25, then caught Sluman with birdies on the three of the last four holes.

He put a wedge shot to within 10 feet for a birdie on No. 15, dropped a 20-footer on No. 17 and got a share of the lead by putting a sand wedge to within 6 feet on the final hole.

“I’m still not where I want to be, but it’s a lot closer,” Green said.

Severiano Ballesteros of Spain shot a 4-under-par 68 to retain a one-stroke lead in the $677,000 European Masters tournament at Crans, Switzerland, after two rounds.

Ballesteros, the British Open champion, has a 36-hole total of 133, 11 under par.

One stroke back were Nick Faldo of England and Ian Woosnam of Wales. Faldo shot 67, equaling his first-round performance, while Woosnam turned in a 66.

Jimmy Haggerty of Ireland and Bill Maccoll of Scotland, who were tied for second place after the first round, both shot par 72s to end up in a pack five strokes behind the leader.