Lehman tops leaderboard full of revitalized players

LAS VEGAS -- In two days, Tom Lehman has gone as low as anyone before him on the PGA Tour. In that same period, Fred Couples and John Daly have gone a long way toward resurrecting their careers.

While Lehman was shooting a career-low 62 Thursday to tie the 36-hole tour scoring record, Couples and Daly moved into position to end long winless droughts with some pretty low scores themselves.

Lehman held a three-shot lead in the Invensys Classic at Las Vegas, but just behind were a couple of big names with some big expectations.

"I'd love to win in the States now," said Daly, who won in Germany earlier this year but hasn't won a PGA Tour event in the United States since 1994. "I think it will happen and I'm not saying it in a cocky way. I'm working hard enough for it to happen."

Daly matched Lehman's 62 with a career-best round of his own, but was still five shots back on a day when 62 wasn't even the lowest score.

That belonged to Chris DiMarco, who shot a 61 to move into third place. DiMarco, though, was still four behind Lehman, who has more birdies than pars in two days.

"There's days when golf seems easy and days when it seems tough," Lehman said. "This was an easy day."

Lehman tied the record 125 total for an opening two rounds set last year by Tiger Woods in the NEC Invitational and matched earlier this year by Mark Calcavecchia in the Phoenix Open.

He's done it without making a bogey, a string of errorless play that has him thinking he can win again for the first time in nearly two years.

"My good golf is still as good or better than ever," the 42-year-old Lehman said. "I've just played a lot of lousy rounds to go along with it."

In a tournament that traditionally features low scores, Lehman, Couples and Daly gave the few fans who bothered to come out and watch the second-round play a glimpse of just how good they can be when at their best.

For Lehman and Couples, it was a chance to play well again at the age of 42. For Daly, it was the continuance of some steady play in a year where his golf game once again overshadows his personal turmoil.

"Before this year it's been a big drought," Daly said. "I'm focused now, loose and playing aggressive like I used to."

Daly shot a career-low 62 of his own on the par-71 TPC at The Canyons course that has played tougher than the other two courses used in the five-day tournament.

LPGA Qualifying

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Taiwan's Candie Kung shot a 1-under 71 to take a one-stroke lead after the second round of the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament.

Kung, the U.S. Women's Public Links winner in June, had a 5-under 139 total on LPGA International's Legends Course.

Tonya Gill (72) and England's Suzanne Strudwick (71) were a stroke back in the 72-hole tournament.

The 130 players are competing for 18 exempt spots on the 2002 LPGA Tour, with the next 35 and ties receiving nonexempt status.

-- From wire reports