Grand Blanc, MI (Best E Casino) - Bo Van Pelt fired a six-under 66 on Friday to take the second-round lead of the Buick Open at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club.
Van Pelt, a first-round co-leader, stands at 14-under 130 and is two clear of Dudley Hart, who was also tied for first on Thursday, and Daniel Chopra. Hart shot a 68 in the second round, while Chopra managed a 67 to tie at minus-12.
Woody Austin (67) and Matt Jones (63) share fourth place at 11-under 133. Fredrik Jacobson (66) and Bubba Watson (67) are tied for sixth at minus-10.
Van Pelt began on the 10th tee Friday and broke into red figures right away with a chip-in birdie on that hole. He birdied the 12th, then went through the green again at 15. Van Pelt chipped in on that hole as well and was three- under through six holes, thanks to two chip-ins.
"I've been working on my chipping a lot, and especially with a shot like that, just little simple shots that sometimes I would kind of let get away from me, and I had two of those that I chipped it in twice," said Van Pelt. "So it was nice to take advantage of those."
Van Pelt's next birdie came at the par-four 18th. His drive left him with a short approach and he spun the ball back inside 12 feet. Van Pelt drained that putt and made it two in a row with a 10-footer at the par-five first.
Van Pelt parred his next five holes and admitted he did not get the ball close enough for realistic birdie chances.
At the par-five seventh, Van Pelt hit a hybrid club with his second and missed the green on the right. He flopped his third over a bunker to eight feet and holed the birdie chance to get in at 14-under par.
"I knew the scores were going to be low again, and if I wanted to stay near the top, I needed to keep going forward," said Van Pelt. "That's just kind of what I kept telling myself all day, even after I got off to a good start was just trying to keep staying aggressive and making birdies."
Van Pelt has the 36-hole lead for the third time on the PGA Tour. Earlier this year, he was in first at the midway point of the Puerto Rico Open and even took the lead into the final round.
He only managed an even-par 72 in the final round in Puerto Rico and finished second. Van Pelt is still looking for that elusive first PGA Tour title and will use his experience from earlier in the season to help him to the winner's circle.
"I tried to look at the positives, because I literally had no expectations going down there," said Van Pelt, who two weeks before the Puerto Rico Open, withdrew from the PODS Championship. "But I definitely learned some things from it and hopefully take that to my advantage this weekend."
Ken Duke (66), Jon Mills (69), Todd Demsey (67), Charles Warren (68) and Nick Watney (66) are knotted in eighth place at nine-under-par 135.
Corey Pavin, the final first-round co-leader, struggled to a two-over 74 on Friday and fell into a tie for 29th place at six-under 138.
Rocco Mediate, playing in his first PGA Tour event since losing to Tiger Woods in a playoff at the U.S. Open two weeks ago, shot a three-under 69 on Friday and fell into a tie for 48th at minus-four.
The 36-hole cut fell at three-under 141 with 85 players making the cut. That will mean another cut after the third round. Defending champion Brian Bateman only managed a two-over 74 on Friday and missed the cut at six-over 150.
