Fri Mar 28 19:59:26 2008

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Baird moves in front in Big Easy

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New Orleans, LA (Sports Network) - Briny Baird posted a three-under 69 on Friday to move into the second-round lead of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

He finished 36 holes at eight-under 136 and is one clear at the TPC of Louisiana at Fairfield.

Peter Lonard shot a two-under 70 on Friday and is tied for second place with Jay Williamson, who carded a 69 in round two. The pair is knotted at minus- seven.

Defending champion Nick Watney fired a five-under 67 to get back into the tournament. He shares fourth place with Tommy Armour III and Shigeki Maruyama, both of whom shot 68s on Friday, at six-under-par 138.

Baird did not get off to the kind of start one would expect from a leader. His drive sailed right, then hit the cart path. After that mishap, Baird still had six feet to save par, but missed the putt.

"After one hole I'm thinking to myself, okay, here we go," said Baird. "It could have easily gone a little south, but it didn't. I think I was somewhat fortunate."

After five straight pars, Baird finally got into red figures. At the par-five seventh, he barely missed the green left with his second shot. Baird chipped to inches and tapped in for birdie, changing his outlook.

"Suddenly when it didn't look real good, I'm back to even, thinking, all right, this is fine, I'm even par," said Baird.

Baird parred three in a row around the turn, then got another birdie at the next par five, the 11th. He hit three-wood, three-wood then played a lob-wedge to six feet to set up the birdie.

Baird stayed steady with five consecutive pars, but closed with a flurry. At the par-three 17th, Baird hit a five-iron 20 feet right of the stick. He made that putt and holed a 20-footer for birdie at the par-five last to get sole possession of the halfway lead for the first since the 2005 event in Las Vegas.

"On the scorecard it's probably going to look like a solid round of golf. It didn't feel quite as good as probably the scorecard will make out," admitted Baird. "I didn't play as well today. My swing felt a little loose at times, but to get in with three-under, I was very, very pleased. It didn't feel like a three-under round."

Baird is winless on the PGA Tour, but could be in a good spot this week, not just for the good eats and fishing. The last three winners of this tournament made this their first PGA Tour victory.

He might be getting close.

Last week at the Puerto Rico Open, Baird had a good chance at victory, but only managed an even-par 72 in the final round.

"Last week I felt like I had a really good chance to win," said Baird. "I'm not going to say I should have won because that would diminish what Greg Kraft did. But I felt like I had a really, really good chance."

Steve Elkington shot a one-under 71 on Friday to get into a group tied for seventh at minus-five. His score may not have been the biggest story of the round for the 1995 PGA Champion.

He appeared to have words with playing partner Bubba Watson in the 10th fairway. Watson seemed to be unhappy that Elkington was walking as Watson prepared to play.

The two walked off the 18th green without a handshake.

Elkington was joined in seventh by overnight leader Dean Wilson (73), Brian Davis (68), Cameron Beckman (71), Marco Dawson (68), Tim Clark (66), Chez Reavie (72), John Merrick (67), Parker McLachlin (67) and Tim Wilkinson (68).

The 36-hole cut fell at even-par 144 and world Nos. 4 and 5 Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk will not be around on the weekend.