THE COLONIAL PGA notebook

Back on top: Kenny Perry has his concentration back, and is at the top of the leaderboard going into the weekend at the Colonial. Perry had a bogey-free 6-under 64 Friday, the best round of the day. He shares the 36-hole lead with Dan Forsman (66) at 8-under, one stroke ahead of Jim Furyk (65). There were 76 players who made the cut at 1-over. Last week, Perry was 7-over after two rounds at the Byron Nelson Championship in nearby Irving, missing the cut for only the second time this season. "Last week was a week where I don't know what the deal was. I just couldn't concentrate for some reason. I just wasn't ready to play," Perry said. "I just had good vibes coming into this week." He spent last weekend in Dallas, not playing golf, but relaxing "and just tried to get my head together for this week." Plus, Perry has played well at Colonial, where he tied for second last year. After a 3-foot birdie putt at the 427-yard 18th to end his first nine, Perry made an eagle on the 565-yard No. 1, hitting a 3-wood from the fairway to 40 feet and making the putt. He hit a 4-iron approach to a foot for a birdie on the 470-yard 5th, the second-toughest hole on the course. Perry hit 16 of 18 greens and 11 of 14 fairways.
Phil's snowman: Phil Mickelson was thrilling as ever on No. 9 Friday, although this isn't what he had in mind. He walked to the tee with a share of the lead, and left the green with a quadruple-bogey 8. It started with his tee shot -- a driver that started toward the tennis courts, faded back over the trees and wound up in a bunker. After a 15-minute wait on a ruling ahead of him, Mickelson's wedge from 67 yards came up short and into the water. He took his drop and again went after the pin, tucked close to the water's edge. It wasn't even close, splashing down 20 feet short of land. "I just tried to play an explosion shot, and it didn't come out right," said Mickelson, 3-under after his 70. His next shot was 40 feet long, and he two-putted for his snowman. Mark Calcavecchia also dunked two balls in the water at 9, which ranked the toughest Friday at an average of 4.33 strokes.
-- Associated Press