Perry Holds One-Shot Lead Over Langer, Goydos And Garcia

Ponte Vedra Beach, FL (AHN) -- Kenny Perry shot a 2-under 70 on Friday to give the 47-year-old PGA veteran a one-shot lead after the halfway point of The Players Championship. Perry owned a one-shot lead over 50-year-old Bernhard Langer -- a two-time winner this year on the Champions Tour -- and 43-year-old Paul Goydos. Both Perry and Langer drew inspiration from a Wednesday night prayer meeting at the house of 51-year-old Fred Funk, who won The Players Championship three years ago at the age of 48, making him the oldest winner of what many consider the "fifth" major. Said Perry, "I got a good look at his trophy. That guy inspired me." The Stadium Course brought most of the golfers to their knees with winds that gusted to 35 mph and temperatures that pushed 90 degrees. Langer, a two-time Masters champion who debated withdrawing when he felt pain in his lower back on Thursday, shot a 5-under 67 on Friday. He's tied with Goydos, who has won only twice in 15 years on the tour, and first-round leader Sergio Garcia. Garcia's putter cost him at least a share of the lead. He hit all 14 fairways and missed only three greens, but needed 33 putts on the way to a 2-over 73. Anthony Kim, who won last week's Wachovia Championship, shot a 70 and is two shots back in fifth at 4-under 140. Boo Weekley is another shot back in sixth after a 71. Only 15 players remained under par, but the group included Fred Couples at 2-under 142 as well as defending champion Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els at 1-under 143. Said Goydos, "Basically right now, we're still just pace cars. We're going to wait and see what happens on the weekend when the racing starts." The course got the best of Rich Beem and Padraig Harrington. Beem was only five shots off the lead with four holes left, but then went double bogey, bogey, double bogey, quadruple bogey for an 80 and missed the cut by five shots.Harrington bogeyed six of his final seven holes for a 78 and also missed the cut. The cut was 3-over 147.