Fri Apr 4 21:25:36 2008

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Wagner stays hot, leads by three at Houston Open

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Humble, TX (Sports Network) - After sharing the first-round lead, Johnson Wagner posted a three-under 69 Friday to grab a three-stroke lead with the second round of the Houston Open suspended due to darkness.

Wagner, who shared the opening-round lead with Adam Scott, completed 36 holes at 12-under-par 132.

"I had a couple bogeys and didn't make as many putts today," Wagner admitted. "It was a very good day."

There was a weather delay of one hour, 45 minutes on Friday. The second round will resume at 9:00 a.m. (et) Saturday morning with the third round to follow.

Mathew Goggin fired an eight-under 64 Friday to move into a share of second place at nine-under-par 135. He was joined there by Charley Hoffman (70).

Chad Campbell, who needs a win to get into the Masters next week, also fired a 64 to jump into fourth place at minus-seven.

Nicholas Thompson is the closest one to the leader on the course. He is three- under through 13 holes and six-under par for the championship. Thompson is tied for fifth with Lucas Glover (69) and Robert Garrigus (67).

Wagner and Scott set a new course record on Thursday and Wagner came back with five more birdies on Friday.

He opened with a 10-foot birdie putt on the first. He knocked a three-wood into the water on the third, but bounced back in fine fashion.

Wagner got up and down for birdie on the fourth and came right back with a birdie on the fifth that moved him to 11-under. After a pair of pars, he found a greenside bunker at the eighth, but got up and down from there for birdie.

Around the turn, Wagner hit another tee shot into the water at the 11th and that led to his second bogey.

Wagner atoned for that mistake with a 15-foot birdie putt at the 13th. That moved him back to 12-under and he parred out to remain atop the leaderboard.

"I just missed a bunch of chances coming in, but I'm very pleased with the round," said Wagner, who will hold his first 36-hole lead in his PGA Tour career. "Not that it really matters sleeping on first-round lead. Hasn't happened to me too much out here. I was pleased to go out and shoot a good sub-70 round."

Staring Wagner in the face is an invite to the Masters. If he can go on to win, the Virginia Tech product would pick up his first invitation to the season's first major.

Goggin used a pair of eagles to fly up the leaderboard.

He birdied the third, but gave that shot right back with a bogey on four. The Australian holed his eight-iron approach for eagle on the par-four fifth. Goggin knocked his second to the par-five eighth into a greenside bunker.

No matter, he holed that shot for another eagle that jumped him five-under. Around the turn, he birdied four of the first six holes to move into a share of second at minus-nine. He parred out to tie his best career round on the PGA Tour.

"I played very well. I hit the ball well yesterday and today," admitted Goggin. "I hit a lot of greens and gave myself a lot of opportunities. I birdied the holes you should birdie. Nice sort of craziness except for holing the eight-iron. That's what kick-started the round."

Hoffman dropped in back-to-back birdies from the fourth. Around the turn, he moved to 10-under with a birdie on the 10th.

However, trouble loomed as he bogeyed 12 and 13 to slide to minus-eight. Hoffman recovered one stroke with a birdie on 15 before he parred the last three.

Scott struggled to a four-over 76 that included three birdies, five bogeys and a double-bogey. The Australian is tied for eighth at five-under-par 139 alongside Ben Crane (65) and Jose Maria Olazabal (70).

The cut will likely be at even-par 144. Among those who won't be around for the final two rounds are Jeff Maggert (147), Rich Beem (148) and last week's winner, Andres Romero (153).