Pavin back in the news

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October 24, 2010

US captain Corey Pavin is back in the news – but this time it has got nothing to do with the Ryder Cup.

Pavin shot a 4-under 68 on Saturday second round to maintain his one-stroke lead in the Champions Tour’s Administaff Small Business Classic at the Woodlands Country Club in Texas.

Pavin is at 10-under 134 and leads second placed Mark Wiebe by a shot, and Fred Couples, who posted a best of the day 65 that included eight birdies and a bogey in his best ever round in over-50s golf

Pavin had a three-stroke lead over Wiebe with two holes left, but Wiebe cut it to one on the 17th when he made a birdie and Pavin missed a short putt for his only bogey of the day.

On the final hole, Wiebe left a 30-foot birdie putt just short before Pavin did well to avoid his second straight bogey by holing a 12-footer for par.

“I liked the way I played,” said Pavin who’s US team came within a point of successfully defending the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor in Wales.

“I actually hit the ball better today. It was nice to make the putt at the last hole. It’s better to have a one-shot lead than none.”

Tom Lehman was at 5 under, and Byrum, Larry Mize and Jay Don Blake at 4 under.

Couples, trying to overtake Bernhard Langer in the Charles Schwab Cup points race, made three straight birdies with putts of 12, 9 and 10 feet on the 8th, 9th and 10th holes, again with a 5-footer on the 11th and yet another 25 footer on the 15th, but he bogeyed the par-3 16th and closed with two pars.

“I hit the ball crisper today and closer to the hole,” Couples said. “The first few years on the Champions Tour are important to me. I’m enjoying it out here.”

Kenny Perry, playing in his first Champions Tour event and trying to recover from a disappointing opening 78. was 5 under in the second round through 17 holes on Saturday but then stumbled with a double bogey on the final hole for a 69 that left him at 3-over.

“I didn’t have a lot of fun yesterday,” Perry said. “Yesterday I was tight and I never got loose. I had a lot of nerves. Today I played free and relaxed.”

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