Rickie Fowler, who only turned professional
in mid-September, and Englishman Greg Owen both fired 64s on Friday to share
the second-round lead of the Frys.com Open.
They finished 36 holes at 11-under 129 and are one clear at Grayhawk Golf
Club.
Justin Leonard is alone in third place at minus-10 after a six-under 64 on
Friday.
Fowler is trying to become the first player since Ryan Moore to qualify for
the tour based on earnings in sponsor's exemptions and without going to Q
School.
Moore carded a five-under 65 and is tied for fourth place with first-round
leader Nick O'Hern, who posted a 68 on Friday. The pair is knotted at nine-
under 131.
This is an event in the Fall Series, where players are trying to get into the
top 125 or stay there. That's the magic number for a PGA Tour card for 2010,
but for one player this week, he can make one of the quickest leaps to tour
member.
Fowler, who turned pro after the Walker Cup, is competing in only his second
PGA Tour event as a professional. He tied for seventh last week in Las Vegas
and might have an interesting decision ahead of him.
Fowler is scheduled to play in the first stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying
School this week. A top-10 finish here and he gets into the Viking Classic
next week, but Fowler isn't doing anything next week unless he gets exempt
from first stage.
"If it exempts me through first stage, then, yes, I'll play the Viking. But if
I'm not exempt through first stage, I'm going to first stage," Fowler said on
Friday.
Fowler parred his first five holes, then reached the green with his drive at
the par-four sixth. He ran home the 12-foot eagle putt to reach seven-under
for the championship.
"Swung out about as hard as I could and hit it about as hard as I could and
went about as straight as a ball could go," Fowler said.
Fowler followed up the eagle with a birdie at the seventh. He drove into the
rough, but lashed a six-iron to 10 feet and made the putt, but he parred the
next three around the turn.
At the par-five 11th, Fowler hit a three-wood into a greenside bunker with his
second. He blasted out to six feet and converted the birdie putt.
Fowler tried to reach the other driveable par four at Grayhawk, the 15th, but
his tee ball stayed right. He hit a flop shot to five feet to set up birdie
and get to minus-10.
On the closing hole, Fowler knocked an eight-iron approach just past the
flagstick. He made the 18-footer for birdie and a share of first place.
And this is only his second start on tour as a pro.
"My expectations were basically just to go out and have two fun weeks and play
as well as I could," said Fowler. "There's always that goal of winning.
There's no reason to tee it up in a tournament if I don't think I can win.
Last week I put together some solid rounds and put myself in contention.
This week, feel like I'm in a great spot going into the weekend."
So, too, is Owen.
He got his share of the lead with great play early in the round.
Owen stiffed his approach at one and tapped in for birdie. He sank a pair of
15-foot birdie putts at two and three, but made bogey at the par-five fourth
when he hit a poor shot out of a greenside bunker.
The Englishman responded with back-to-back birdies at five and six after the
problem at four. Owen putted off the green at the ninth en route to bogey, but
closed with a good run.
Owen birdied No. 14, then holed a sand-wedge from 104 yards out for an eagle
at 15. He parred his last three for his first piece of a second-round lead on
the PGA Tour.
"I've actually played really, really well," said Owen, who is winless on the
PGA Tour and 116th on the money list. "Winning on the PGA Tour would mean a
lot. I had my chance at Bay Hill, which, you know, I think everyone knows what
happened there."
At the 2006 Bay Hill Invitational, Owen battled down the stretch with Rod
Pampling, but a double-bogey at 17, which was the result of a three-putt from
inside four feet, cost him the victory.
Chris Stroud (65), Heath Slocum (68), Bryce Molder (65), Tim Clark (64) and
Stephen Ames (66) are tied for sixth place at eight-under 132.
The 36-hole cut fell at one-under 139 and among those who missed the cut were
last year's winner Cameron Beckman and major champions Rich Beem, Todd
Hamilton and David Duval.
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