Ogilvy maintains lead
Trahan moves into second place, one back; seven others within four shotsBy STARR BEGLEY, For The Maui News
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Friday's Second Round
At Kapalua Plantation Course
Geoff Ogilvy: 67-68---135 (-11)
D.J. Trahan: 70-66---136 (-10)
Ernie Els: 68-69---137 (-9)
Anthony Kim: 71-68---139 (-7)
Sean O'Hair: 69-70---139 (-7)
Ryuji Imada: 69-70---139 (-7)
Davis Love III: 69-70---139 (-7)
Kenny Perry: 68-71---139 (-7)
Johnson Wagner: 68-71---139 (-7)
Adam Scott: 73-67---140 (-6)
Boo Weekley: 70-70---140 (-6)
Justin Leonard: 74-67---141 (-5)
Camilo Villegas: 74-67---141 (-5)
Stewart Cink: 74-67---141 (-5)
Brian Gay: 72-70---142 (-4)
Will MacKenzie: 72-70---142 (-4)
K.J. Choi: 71-71---142 (-4)
Carl Pettersson: 72-72---144 (-2)
Richard S. Johnson: 72-72---144 (-2)
Dustin Johnson: 72-72---144 (-2)
Steve Lowery: 69-75---144 (-2)
Chez Reavie: 75-70---145 (-1)
Greg Kraft: 72-73---145 (-1)
Parker McLachlin: 77-69---146 (E)
Vijay Singh: 73-73---146 (E)
Trevor Immelman: 72-74---146 (E)
Zach Johnson: 71-75---146 (E)
Daniel Chopra: 79-69---148 (+2)
Cameron Beckman: 76-73---149 (+3)
J.B. Holmes: 74-75---149 (+3)
Andres Romero: 78-74---152 (+6)
Marc Turnesa: 79-73---152 (+6)
Ryan Palmer: 78-75---153 (+7)
KAPALUA - For most of Friday, the weather provided little defense for the Kapalua Plantation Course, and word at the Mercedes-Benz Championship was that the time had arrived for a player to pull ahead of the pack, before Sunday's projected wind and rain.
Through the first half of his round, Geoff Ogilvy appeared on the way to doing just that. He played the front nine five shots under par, and was at 12 under and bogey-free through the first 34 holes of the PGA Tour's season opener.
Instead of improving from there, though, he gave back a shot on the 508-yard, par-4 17th, then closed with a par in a round of 5-under 68.
The 31-year old Australian finished as the tournament leader for the second straight day, at 11-under 135, but D.J. Trahan was just a shot back after a second-round 66.
''Happy where I am,'' Ogilvy said. ''I played really, really well the front nine. Yeah, made a bunch of putts. Didn't hit many good shots, but made some putts. Birdied the holes you're supposed to birdie, and snuck a couple extra ones.''
Ogilvy said each of his first two rounds were similar.
''I drove the ball well again,'' he said. ''Probably the front nine, I putted better than I did yesterday, but that would be splitting hairs. I've putted quite well the whole time.''
Ogilvy said the conditions were a factor on No. 17.
''As soon as I hit it in the air, I knew it was short,'' he said. ''It just climbed. Because of the Kona winds, I get turned up somewhere between the 17th tee and the second shot. I hit wedge normally 135 (yards) and it flew 128. Normally downwind, it would have pitched 140-some and been 10 short. One of those things. I've never seen Kona winds here, so playing 17, you just expect it to go long and can hit right to left. It went short and it got the other way.''
Ogilvy is making his third Mercedes appearance - all in the last four years.
''I'm sure a lot of guys have seen it,'' he said. ''I've never played it like this. I'm sure it will be a bit awkward. Your instinct is every time you go (a certain) way you go downwind and every time you go (another way) you go into the wind. If it goes the other way, you have to rethink. It's just going to have to make us not play automatically, and so we really have to start thinking about it.''
Ernie Els (69) was at 137, two shots in front of six others - Anthony Kim (68), Sean O'Hair (70), Ryuji Imada (70), Davis Love III (70), Kenny Perry (71) and Johnson Wagner (71).
Trahan's round was the best of the tournament so far.
''My goal is to go out there and see if I can make as many birdies as possible,'' he said. ''You know, when a guy is ahead like that, he certainly is playing well, so you have to play some good golf to catch him. I only had two bogeys today and shot 7 under. Obviously, if I can do that for two more days, I think I hopefully will have a pretty good chance.''
Boo Weekley had a great start, shooting 32 on the first nine, but double-bogeyed the 18th hole, missing two putts from within 3 feet to end the day with a 70 and a 140 total, tied with Adam Scott (67).
''It was a good day,'' said Weekley. ''I just got aggravated. I just misread the last four or five putts coming in. We are here to enjoy golf and what's going on and at the same time maybe win. But if you don't it's all good.''
