GOLF ROUNDUP : Triplett Leads by One Shot

Kirk Triplett birdied six of his first 10 holes Friday en route to a seven-under-par 65 and a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the $1.5-million Greater Greensboro Open at Greensboro, N.C.

Triplett, who has finished second three times in six seasons on the PGA Tour, had a two-round total of 11-under-par 133, one shot off the midway record set in 1986 by Sandy Lyle over the 6,958-yard Forest Oaks Country Club course.

“I was at the hotel this morning, and the wind was blowing pretty hard,” Triplett said. “My hotel is kind of on top of a hill, and driving out here I thought it was going to be a pretty tough day. I thought the greens would really be firm.

“But I saw some reasonable scores in the morning and, getting off to a fast start like I did, I was thinking low numbers all the way.”

Peter Jacobsen, second on the money list and the only multiple winner this season after 15 events, was at 134 after a 65. His round was buoyed by two chip-in birdies from sand traps. “That’s the kind of stuff you dream about,” Jacobsen said of his sand shots on Nos. 13 and 16.

The wind kicked up early after a calm day Thursday when 37 players shot in the 60s, but scores didn’t suffer much as Jeff Sluman shot a 65 and Brad Bryant and John Adams each had a 66. Sluman, Bryant and Hal Sutton were at 135, and Adams was at 136 with Brad Faxon and Steve Lowery.

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Laura Davies reached two par-five holes in two and a par-four in one, highlighting a round of five-under-par 67 that gave her a share of the first-round lead with Kristi Albers and Kelly Robbins in the rain-delayed LPGA Chick-fil-A Charity Championship at Stockbridge, Ga.

Davies, who leads the women’s tour with a 268-yard driving average, two-putted three times for birdies.

Robbins, the second-longest hitter on the tour at 262 per swing, had two two-putt birdies.

Albers, who needed only 25 putts, is making a comeback from back surgery last October. Her 67 was only the second time in 19 competitive rounds since then that she has finished under par.

A thunderstorm delayed the start by 2 1/2 hours, and 21 golfers unable to complete their rounds faced early-morning play before the start of today’s second round.

Rain softened the 6,187-yard Eagle’s Landing Country Club course, putting a premium on length off the tee.