Two Vets Set Pace in McGladrey Classic


Two of the oldest players in the field, Davis Love III and Jim Furyk, each carded 4-under 66s to take over the leaderboard's top spot in the McGladrey Classic. The $4 million event, part of the PGA Tour's Fall Series, began Thursday at the Seaside Course on Sea Island, Ga.

The 48-year-old Love carded six birdies and a pair of bogeys to reach 13-under 197 for a share of the lead with the 42-year-old Furyk, who had four birdies Saturday. Both Love and Furyk participated in last month's Ryder Cup, when their American team - led by captain Love - lost to the Europeans at Medinah Country Club near Chicago.

Furyk, a 16-time Tour winner whose last victory come in the 2010 Tour Championship, has racked up 14 birdies and just one bogey through 54 holes. Love, who has 20 career titles - including the 1997 PGA Championship, lives in Sea Island and is serving as the host of this week's tournament. His previous win came in the 2008 Children's Miracle Network Classic.

"If I now said, 'OK, I'm tied for the lead and there's only one round to go and I try to flip my mindset, I'm going to get tight and it's going to be harder to score," Furyk told PGATour.com. "…I had played a lot of golf; I was tired, so I was trying to get away and felt that was the best thing I could do at the time, so I came in here just not really expecting that much.

"I know I'm playing well, I know my game's in good shape, so let's see what happens. And I'm going to do the same thing tomorrow."

"He was real close to an All-Star, hero year," Love said of Furyk, who had a tough Ryder Cup and blew a lead in the final round of the U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. "And that showed today. He came out firing and looked like he was going to birdie every hole."

Two strokes behind the leaders are D.J. Trahan (66) and 36-hole leader, Arjun Atwal (69). The 39-year-old from India, who entered the event ranked 175th on the Tour's money list and needs to finish in the top-125 to be assured a Tour card for 2013, posted four birdies and three bogeys in his 1-under-par effort, while Trahan, a Georgia native, had six birdies and a pair of bogeys.

Also within eyeshot of Love and Furyk is first-round co-leader Bud Cauley, who carded a 68 and is at 10-under 200. Sharing sixth at 201 are Will Claxton (65), Rory Sabbatini (67), Charles Howell III (68), Australia's Mathew Goggin (68) and defending champion Ben Crane. Crane matched the tournament record - also shot by Cauley and Marco Dawson in the first round - of 8-under 62 thanks to eight birdies.

Five shots out of the lead are Kyle Reifers (67), Peter Tomasulo (68), Vijay Singh (68), Chad Campbell (69), Michael Thompson (69), Brian Gay (69), David Toms (70) and Gavin Coles (70). Ten players stand at 203.

For all the scores, visit http://www.pgatour.com/r/leaderboard.