Worldcom Classic - The Heritage of GolfScoring still main course on Harbour Town menu 04/14/01[an error occurred while processing this directive] <BR><FONT SIZE=5>  Scoring still main course on Harbour Town menu  </FONT><p> <em>  Lehman takes one-shot lead in WorldCom Classic.  </em><BR> <P><font size=2><I>Web posted  <FONT SIZE=2>Saturday, April 14, 2001</FONT><BR>  <P></I></font><FONT SIZE=2> </FONT> <P><FONT SIZE=2><B>  By <A HREF=mail to:astastny@savannahnow.com>Anthony Stastny</a>  </B><BR>  <I><A HREF="http://www.savannahnow.com">Savannah Morning News</a></I>  <P></FONT> <FONT SIZE =3>  HILTON HEAD ISLAND - Harbour Town regained its lost youth in a nine-month rejuvenation after last year's WorldCom Classic.<P> And if the touring pros don't stop kicking it around, they're likely to be accused of child abuse.<P> The restored course, longer with revamped greens, has yielded more birdies than a rookery in its first two rounds of competition in the 2001 WorldCom Classic.<P> On Friday, Tom Lehman put a single stroke of separation between himself and a field bunched tighter than lug nuts. Lehman, who finished second last year, shot a second straight 66 for a 10-under 132 total.<P> <TABLE WIDTH=152 BORDER=0 ALIGN=Left VSPACE=5 HSPACE=5 CELLPADDING=5> <TR><TD VALIGN=BOTTOM ALIGN=MIDDLE><A HREF="/images/041401/lehman.jpg"> <MCC PHOTO1> <IMG alt="photo: Worldcom Classic" SRC="/images/041401/lehmanLR.jpg" WIDTH=152 HEIGHT=200 HSPACE=0 VSPACE=6 align=left BORDER=0> </MCC PHOTO> </a><br></TD></TR> <TR><TD CELLPADDING=3 VALIGN=TOP ALIGN=LEFT><center><hr width=60% noshade></center> <font size=2> <MCC CAPTION> Tom Lehman took a one-stroke lead heading into the third round. </MCC CAPTION> <center><font size=1><I><MCC CREDIT></MCC CREDIT></I></font><center><hr width=60% noshade></center></TD></TR></TABLE> "I thought it was there for the taking," Lehman said.<P> That may well be the motto for this year's event. <P> Even Lehman was not impressed with his score at the event's midpoint.<P> "Leading just happens to be the spot I'm in," he said. "There are still two days to go, and it's a long two days."<P> True, Lehman was the leader of a scoring parade, but his numbers were impressive enough.<P> "I'll take two more 66s," he said.<P> But this time, Route 66 may not be enough to get him the rest of the way across this Lowcountry.<P> The near-perfect greens combined with hot but favorable conditions have three players knotted one back at 9-under 133, and two players are two back at 8-under 134. Five are camped at 7-under. Twenty-three players are within five shots of the lead.<P> Day Two was a virtual replay of round one with a different cast of characters.<P> The numbers tell the story: <P> * 858 birdies in two rounds.<P> * 64 players under par.<P> * 75 players par or better.<P> * New course record (29) on the front nine.<P> * 36-hole cut at par 142, tying the record for lowest cut.<P> Vijay Singh, Billy Andrade and Billy Mayfair started early and were off the course with short-lived leads at 9-under as temperatures headed for the upper 80s.<P> While they cooled off, Lehman was getting hot.<P> Lehman played the back nine first, before the wind kicked up, and got around the turn in par. He said a putt on No. 16 after a terrible iron shot and mediocre chip was pivotal.<P> "That one 10-foot putt, it was like making a birdie in a way," he said. "It kind of got me going. I hit a nice shot on the next hole, then birdied 18. I was off and running."<P> That birdie started a surge that saw him pick up six shots in seven holes. The big one was an eagle on No. 2. He said he hit a 4-iron 12 inches away from the hole.<P> "Those are, to me, the real momentum builders," he said. "You walk up, tap-in, away you go."<P> But Lehman, who also benefited from a putting tip to move closer to the ball, is just one of a small army in the battle for this title.<P> Andrade, who is putting the finishing touches on a swing change, shot 4-under 67; Singh and Mayfair both had 68s.<P> "All we need to do is to hit good shots and make a lot of birdies because they are out there," Singh said.<P> Mayfair agreed with Singh's diagnosis.<P> "I think you are going to see a lot of guys making putts," he said. "If they do miss, they will make par putts, and if they do hit it, you will see a lot of birdie putts made. I think the scores will keep going down unless we get a real hard wind."<P> Not likely. Today's forecast is for partly cloudy, 81 degrees and winds of 5 to 10 mph.<P> Andrade had an eventful round, with three birdies each on the front and back and one bogey in each nine. He vaulted into prominence with a string of birdies at Nos. 16, 17 and 18 after starteding on the 10th tee, making the turn at 7-under. A bogey at No. 4 on the front kept him from being tied for the lead.<P> For a guy who completely changed his swing from a slice to a draw and admits he has survived on his chipping and putting, it was a confidence-builder.<P> 'You know, I continued where I started (Thursday)," he said. "... I didn't hit them all, but you never hit them all here.<P> "... I felt very in control out there."<P> Mayfair matched two birdies with two bogeys on the front after starting on the first tee, then birdied 10, 15 and 17 for his share of the lead.<P> "Overall, I was real happy with it," he said. "I only hit one bad drive on No. 8, ... and I'm making the putts when I need to." <P> Mike Sposa, another early starter, was in fourth place at 8-under after shooting a second straight 67. Carl Paulson carded a 63, the low round of the tournament, aided by that course-record 29 on the front. He joined Sposa at two back.<P> Sea Island's Davis Love III, a four-time champion here, is one of the quintet at 7-under after shooting a 4-under 67. He is joined by Brad Elder (69), Mark Brooks (69), John Cook (66) and Scott Verplank (67).<P> Doug Dunakey, one of three first-round leaders along with Singh and Mayfair, shot a 71 and leads a group of four at 6-under 136.<P> Surviving the cut was local pro Todd Barranger of Bluffton. Barranger is at 141, 1-under for the tournament after a 73.<P> Among those missing the cut were Sergio Garcia (1-over), two-time champion Tom Watson (4-over), Fuzzy Zoeller (15-over) and Ben Crenshaw (17-over).<P> Lehman and Mayfair will tee off in today's third round at 2:05 p.m. Play begins at 9 a.m. <P>  </FONT>[an error occurred while processing this directive]