O'Hair, Furyk lead birdie run; Tiger adrift

NORTON, Massachussets – Sean O’Hair overcame a recent birdie drought to claim a share of the lead in another day of low scoring at the Deutsche Bank Championship on Saturday.

O’Hair was 8-under par in an eight-hole stretch in the middle of his round, sending him to a 7-under 64 and a share of the lead with Jim Furyk after 36 holes on the TPC Boston.

O’Hair and Furyk, who made six birdies in his round of 67, played in the same group with Retief Goosen, who had a 67 and wound up two shots behind. The threesome combined to make 17 birdies and one eagle.

“It can either help your or it can really hurt you,” O’Hair said of watching his partners keep making putts. “If you get impatient out there, it can be a detriment. But with the attitude I had out there the last couple of days, it was nice.”

Tiger Woods was on the cut line when he made the turn and was desperate to secure a tee time for Sunday and make up as much ground as he could. After an unlikely par save from a buried lie in the bunker, Woods gave himself seven consecutive birdie putts inside 12 feet. He made four of them for a 67, although he still was seven shots behind.

O’Hair and Furyk were at 12-under 130, two shots clear of Goosen and Marc Leishman, who had a tournament-low 62. Nearly half the field of 99 players shot in the 60s.

Scott Verplank made an eagle for the second straight day on his way to a 68, leaving him a group of players at 9-under 133 that included Justin Leonard, Mike Weir, Kevin Sutherland and John Senden, who recorded the rarest shot in golf.

Senden made a double eagle on the par-5 second hole, holing out from 250 yards with a 4-iron. He shot a 64.

“It looked like it was just going to roll to the back of the green or just over the back,” Senden said. “And then when the I saw the cheers go up, I knew it was in the hole, so it was exciting.” (AP)