Chip-In Birdie on 18 Gives Lanny Wadkins Lead at Pebble Beach

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. —  Even under perfect conditions, Spyglass Hill is one of the world’s most difficult golf courses. When it rains, as it did Thursday night and Friday morning, it should be called Periscope Hill. You have to wear goggles and fins to play there.

After his round Friday in the second round of the AT&T; Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, Lanny Wadkins called Spyglass Hill a swamp. That was the nicest thing he had to say about it.

But with 16 years of experience on the PGA tour, he knows to wear an old pair of trousers when he plays there. He never fails to ruin them.

That is no problem for Payne Stewart. He wears plus-fours, knickers that are cut just below his knees. He only gets his socks wet. “And they can be washed,” he said Friday after he played at Spyglass, which he said is one of his favorite courses.

Despite their different outlooks, as well as wardrobes, Wadkins and Stewart shot the same score, three-under par 69.

The only score better Friday at Spyglass was Hubert Green’s 68 as Wadkins and Stewart, playing in the same foursome, entered the final hole of the day tied for the lead.

Then Wadkins chipped his third shot in for a birdie and a one-shot lead with a 36-hole total of 137, seven under par.

Stewart is at 138, one shot ahead of Japan’s Isao Aoki, Scotland’s Sandy Lyle, and Danny Edwards.

Three other players are at 140, including Lanny’s brother, Bobby, who was tied for the lead with Lanny at one point during Friday’s round.

“He obviously backed off a little bit, as little brothers do at times,” Lanny said.

First-round leader Rex Caldwell, who shot 67 Thursday at Pebble Beach, backed off so far he almost fell into the ocean.

Playing at Cypress Point, he was still among the leaders at six under par through 12 holes. He then did his imitation of the bogey man, making three straight.

That was fun compared to what awaited him at the 346-yard 18th, where he did battle with the trees to the right of the fairway. The trees won.

Caldwell took a quadruple-bogey 8 as he played the final six holes in seven over par. His 78 for the day gave him a total of 145, eight shots behind the leader.

The good news is that Caldwell, who won so little money on the tour last year that he lost his PGA card, received an invitation to play next week in the Hawaiian Open.

As for those near the top of the leader board after Friday’s round, Wadkins and Stewart are good bets to still be there at the finish.

They will play today and Sunday at Pebble Beach, which most of the pros prefer over Spyglass Hill and Cypress Point.

Wadkins, 37, won the 1977 PGA Championship at Pebble Beach.

All 180 pros and their amateur partners play each of the three courses before the field is cut to 60 pros and 25 pro-am teams for the final round at Pebble Beach.

“Pebble Beach is the fairest of the courses,” Stewart said. “It’s all out there in front of you. There’s nothing tricky about it.

“But people think I’m crazy because Spyglass Hill is one of my favorite courses.”

Asked to elaborate, Stewart said: “It’s a ball-beaters golf course. You can’t mis-hit it and play well. If you shoot even par, you’re playing well.

“I enjoy golf courses where par is a good round. What won last week? Twenty under par? I don’t like that.”

Paul Azinger won the Phoenix Open last week at 16 under par.

Vehemently disagreeing with Stewart was Wadkins.

He was one of the unfortunate pros who played at Spyglass on the first day of the tournament last year. After the second round was postponed for a day because of rain, players were allowed to lift, clean and replace balls at Spyglass because of the wet conditions.

“It couldn’t have been any wetter than when we played there on the first day,” Wadkins said. “We got shafted.”

To avoid the controversy, PGA officials have allowed the players this year from the beginning to lift, clean and replace at Spyglass.

One player who initially disagreed with that allowance was Jack Nicklaus, who, in his season debut, is at even par 144 after the first two rounds.

“Come on, let’s play golf,” he said earlier this week. “I don’t like to see us ever touch the ball. I get tired of bending over.”

But that was before the rains came Tuesday night and again Thursday night and Friday morning.

“That’s the only way the course is playable,” Wadkins said of the ruling. “It’s like playing in a swamp. I’m for playing the ball down as much as anybody, but it’s not a playable golf course and hasn’t been ever since I’ve been playing here.”

Except for ruining his trousers, Wadkins didn’t appear to have any problems Friday. He had one bogey and four birdies, including his last two holes.

“I can’t think of one shot he mis-hit all day,” Stewart said.

Stewart didn’t miss too many himself on his 30th birthday.

He set a record last year, earning more money ($535,389) than any player ever has without winning a tournament. Even though he has lifetime earnings of more than $1 million, he has won only two tournaments and none since 1983.

Asked during a group interview with reporters if he is antsy about not winning, he said: “You’re more antsy for me to win than I am. If I win, you won’t have anything to talk about.”

PEBBLE BEACH GOLF

AFTER 36 HOLES

THE LEADER Lanny Wadkins 68-69--137

THE FOLLOWERS Payne Stewart 69-69--138

Isao Aoki 69-70--139

Sandy Lyle 68-71--139

Danny Edwards 70-69--139

Bobby Cole 72-68--140

Fred Couples 70-70--140

Bobby Wadkins 69-71--140

THE NAMES Bernhard Langer 72-69--141

Bob Tway 72-71--143

Fuzzy Zoeller 73-70--143

Tom Watson 69-74--143

Jack Nicklaus 72-72--144

INSIDE

Because all of its invitations have already been made, it appears Seve Ballesteros won’t be able to play in the L.A. Open, though he would like to join the party. Randy Harvey’s story, Page 11.