Snedeker shares lead at 4-under
BY Associated Press
Saturday, February 09, 2013
2/09/13 at 5:39 AM
Brandt Snedeker goes into the weekend at Pebble Beach with another chance to win, this time without golf's biggest stars in his way.
Snedeker played bogey-free at tough Spyglass Hill on Friday for a 4-under 68, giving him a share of the lead with Ted Potter Jr. in the Pebble Beach (Calif.) National Pro-Am. Potter three-putted his final hole at Monterey Peninsula for a 67.
Ex-Oklahoma State standout Hunter Mahan was among those one shot behind. With one more round before everyone has played all three courses in the rotation, the leaderboard was a big traffic jam. Three dozen players were within five shots of the lead.
Snedeker, who was at 8-under 134, felt he was at an advantage because he goes to Pebble Beach for the final two rounds.
And there's one other edge for his psyche - Tiger Woods isn't playing, and defending champion Phil Mickelson is six shots behind.
Snedeker has played so well this year that he is leading the FedEx Cup standings without having won. He was runner-up the last two weeks - four shots behind Woods at Torrey Pines, and then four shots behind Mickelson in the Phoenix Open.
"Keep running into guys who are or who are going to be in the Hall of Fame," Snedeker said at the start of the week.
Mickelson, going after a record-tying fifth win in the event, was easing his way into contention until he made three bogeys in a four-hole stretch along the ocean at Spygass Hill for a 71.
Langer, Pernice tied for lead at Champions Tour: In Boca Raton, Fla., Bernhard Langer and Tom Pernice Jr. ended Friday tied for the first-round lead of the Allianz Championship at Broken Sound after six-under 66s.
Langer birdied three of the last four holes.
Fisher Jr. joins Sterne in lead in Johannesburg: In Johannesburg, Trevor Fisher Jr. shot a 9-under 62 and Richard Sterne had a 65 to share the lead after the second round of the Joburg Open.
Fisher had an eagle and seven birdies, including a run of three straight. Sterne went bogey-free for the second consecutive round.
