Times wires
Friday, February 18, 2011
LOS ANGELES — Fred Couples does not look like he belongs atop the leaderboard on the PGA Tour.
Except that he's at Riviera.
Despite a bad back that hurts when he stoops over a short iron, Couples navigated his favorite tour course without a bogey Friday for 5-under 66 that gave him a two-shot lead in the Northern Trust Open.
It helped that he knocked in an eagle putt of nearly 100 feet on his opening hole, along with a pair of 30-foot birdies. But even for a 51-year-old well past his prime, Couples, who was at 8-under 134, was carried along by a languid swing and his love for Riviera.
"I feel like I can play this course blindfolded," he said.
The wind and rain came in the afternoon, making Riviera so hard that some medium-length hitters couldn't reach the par-4 18th with driver and 3-wood.
Of those who didn't finish before darkness suspended the round, Spencer Levin was at 6 under with three holes left and Aaron Baddeley was 5 under with four holes to play. Levin, J.B. Holmes (69) and John Senden (69) were two back.
Phil Mickelson struggled with his irons on his way to shooting 70, leaving him seven shots behind.
Couples has not been atop the leaderboard on the PGA Tour through 36 holes since 2004 at the old Buick Classic at Westchester. But the affection from the gallery hasn't changed, especially at Riviera.
From the other side of the par-5 first green, Couples rapped a putt and watched it roll some 100 feet for eagle. The cheer was loud enough for players still on the practice range to look up.
One player joked, "Couples just made a 10-footer for par."
LPGA: In-kyung Kim of South Korea birdied her final hole to card 1-over 73 and hold on to the lead by a stroke over Michelle Wie and Yani Tseng midway through the LPGA Thailand in Pattaya. Kim, who struggled a day after tying the course record at 63, was at 8-under 136 total. Seminole's Brittany Lincicome was seven back after shooting 70.
CHAMPIONS: Russ Cochran and Bernhard Langer shot 8-under-par 64s to share the lead after the first round of the ACE Group Classic at The Quarry in Naples. Mark O'Meara was third after 65, including an eagle when he holed out from a greenside bunker.
PRESIDENTIAL connection: Former President George W. Bush is following after his father again, this time as the honorary chair of The First Tee program. His father, former President George H.W. Bush, had been the honorary chair since the program's creation in 1997. He will move to an emeritus role.