Golf

Course plays tough enough in new slot

Leaney takes a two-shot lead as Copperhead holds its ground.

By BOB HARIG
Published March 10, 2007

PALM HARBOR - Amid the congratulations that accompanied the announcement more than a year ago that Tampa Bay's PGA Tour event would be moving to the spring was plenty of concern.

The folks at Innisbrook are proud of the Copperhead course that has been ranked among the state's best for three decades.

And they were a bit perturbed at the prospect of seeing the world's best golfers take advantage of what many believed could be a vulnerable layout.

So much for that.

Through two rounds of the PODS Championship, the Copperhead course is every bit as difficult as it was in October. Perhaps more so.

The lead through 36 holes was 6 under par - exactly where it was through one round, and two strokes higher than in October at the halfway point of the $5.3-million tournament.

"It's kind of got a major championship-type feel," said Chris DiMarco, whose 69 Friday put him two shots behind leader Stephen Leaney. "And it's only going to get tougher."

Leaney's 4-under 67 matched the lowest score of the day and included a 45-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole, which put him at 136, one stroke ahead of Heath Slocum. Another shot back were DiMarco, Pat Perez, Doug LaBelle, Vaughn Taylor, Daniel Chopra, Jonathan Byrd and defending champion K.J. Choi.

Choi finished at 13 under in October, the only player to reach double digits for the tournament.

First-round leader Cliff Kresge shot 74 and was tied for 10th, three strokes back. Kresge got to 8 under through 11 holes Thursday after the second of his two eagles - and nobody has gotten close to that number since. He bogeyed two holes coming in and kept his lead all morning as players fired and missed.

"I did not consider that the fairways would be slow," Innisbrook's director of golf, Jay Overton, said. "The rye grass has kept them slower and made the ball stop rolling so much. Some players have told me they're hitting much longer shots to the greens than in the fall."

Since October, the resort initiated its typical overseeding program with a rye grass meant to keep the place looking green when the Bermuda grass went dormant. Overton, among others, figured it would perhaps make the course play easier, because the rough would not be as thick. But with some cleverly tucked pins and fast greens, Copperhead remains a strong challenge.

Imagine if the wind blew or temperatures dropped. Friday's round was played under sunny skies with barely a breeze and yet the average was still 72.421. And just 24 of the 141 left in the field shot in the 60s.

"The course is defending itself very well," said Ryan Moore, who moved into contention but bogeyed his final three holes to finish at 2 under. "It's a tough golf course. If you hit it in the wrong spot, you're going to make some bogeys. You have to be careful."

Moore was not the only player to struggle coming in. Vijay Singh, who won in 2004, was a shot out of the lead when he bogeyed three of his last four holes to join Moore in 14th.

There were 77 players who made the 36-hole cut, which came at 144, 2 over par.

Leaney, who celebrates his 38th birthday today, is an Australian whose best finish on the PGA Tour was a second to Jim Furyk at the 2003 U.S. Open. He does have seven international victories, three in Australia and four on the European tour, the last coming in 2002.

"The golf course wears you out," Leaney said. "There are no easy holes. There are no holes apart from the first and the 11th (par 5s) where you really feel like you've got great birdie chances. You've just got to put it in play, pick your moments. The only difference is this week I've been making putts, and that's the only way to get to 6 under, is to hole your fair share."

With another nice day in the forecast, there remains the possibility that somebody could go low. Kresge was on track for a time Thursday and there are certainly enough players with the capability.

But nobody is betting on it.

"The greens are as fast as we've putted on all year," DiMarco said. "And they are very undulated. If you saw some of the pins out there, they are really tough to get close to. ... So it's just tough. It's just a good, hard golf course."

Bob Harig can be reached at harig@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8806.

Fast Facts:

PODS Championship

Second-round leaders

Stephen Leaney 69-67 - 136 -6

Heath Slocum 68-69 - 137 -5

K.J. Choi 69-69 - 138 -4

Vaughn Taylor 70-68 - 138 -4

Doug LaBelle 67-71 - 138 -4

Pat Perez 68-70 - 138 -4

Chris DiMarco 69-69 - 138 -4

Dan Chopra 67-71 - 138 -4

Jonathan Byrd 69-69 - 138 -4

Today

Innisbrook Resort, Palm Harbor TV: 3 p.m., Ch. 8 Weather: Isolated thunderstorms, high 80

PODS Championship

When/where: Today-Sunday; Innisbrook Resort, Palm Harbor

Course: Copperhead, par 71, 7,340 yards

Purse: $5.3-million; $954,000 to the winner.

FedEx Cup points: 25,000; 4,500 to the winner.

Weather: Today, isolated thunderstorms and 80/59; Sunday, sunny and 81/60.

TV: 3-6 p.m. today-Sunday, Ch. 8.

Tickets: Today-Sunday, $35 in advance ($60 at the gate). Available at area Sweetbay stores, online at podschampionship.com or by calling (727) 942-5566.

[Last modified March 10, 2007, 00:38:13]