Sat Apr 5 18:19:37 2008

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Wiebe pushes lead to three at Cap Cana

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Cap Cana, Dominican Republic (Sports Network) - Mark Wiebe posted a four-under 68 on Saturday to push his lead to three strokes after two rounds of the inaugural Cap Cana Championship.

Wiebe, who won his tour debut last year at the SAS Championship, completed 36 holes at nine-under-par 135.

Scott Hoch carded a five-under 67 in round two and climbed into second place at minus-six.

Two-time Champions Tour Player of the Year Jay Haas shot 69 Saturday to move into a share of third place at five-under-par 139. He stands alongside Eduardo Romero (68).

Wiebe opened with seven straight pars and was caught in the lead by Hoch.

The 52-year-old Hoch picked up three birdies in a four-hole span from the second to get to minus-four. He holed out for eagle on the par-four eighth on the Jack Nicklaus Course at Punta Espada Golf Club to move into the lead at six-under.

Wiebe did the same on the eighth to reclaim the lead at minus-seven. He pushed his lead to two with a five-foot birdie putt on the ninth and he wasn't caught the remainder of the round.

"The eagle at No. 8 made up for my silly bogey there yesterday," Wiebe said. "Today, I didn't hit the ball great, but I played nice golf for the second day in a row. Anytime you hole out a shot for an eagle, there's some luck involved but overall, I didn't make any bogeys so my mind was in the right place."

Around the turn, Wiebe cruised with his second run of seven consecutive pars. He rolled in a birdie putt from the fringe on the 17th to get to nine-under. Wiebe parred the last to take his first 36-hole lead on the Champions Tour.

Hoch could not keep up his momentum from the front nine. He bogeyed the 11th, but got that shot back with a birdie on the 13th. Hoch dropped another shot on 15, but birdied the last to end three back.

"The eagle at No. 8 was nice and I'm glad to birdie No. 13 both days," Hoch stated. "The golf gods here at Cap Cana don't usually allow you to do that. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I'd like to see it where the player that shoots two- or three-under will win."

Bruce Lietzke and Craig Stadler, who are winless since 2003 and 2004 respectively, both fired five-under 67s Saturday to get to four-under-par 140. They were joined in fifth by Fulton Allem, Mike Reid, Gene Jones and Bruce Vaughan.

Nick Price, James Mason, Vicente Fernandez, Gary McCord and Tom Watson are one stroke further back at minus-three.