BRITISH OPEN Kendall fires 66, leads by one shot

Everyone is chasing a guy who used to wait tables at Olive Garden.
TROON, Scotland (AP) -- Skip Kendall would have done just about anything to get to the British Open.
Unlike a slew of Americans who didn't think golf's oldest championship was worth the effort, Kendall saw only opportunity when he played a 36-hole qualifier last month at Congressional, the first of its kind in the United States.
On Friday, he showed them what they were missing.
Kendall holed out from a pot bunker for birdie and rolled in a 50-foot eagle putt on his way to a 5-under 66 at Royal Troon, giving him a one-shot lead over Thomas Levet of France.
Important
"Any time I can try to get in a major championship, I'm going to be there," Kendall said. "These are important to me, to not only test yourself, but to try to win one. And the only way you can do that is to try to get in."
Last year should have been enough to raise anyone's hopes about hoisting the claret jug.
Ben Curtis won the British Open in his first shot at a major as the 396th-ranked player in the world. Kendall is far more accomplished, although the 39-year-old journeyman still is saddled with an 0-for-310 record in his 10 seasons on the PGA Tour.
Maybe that's about to change.
"I really feel like I can win out on the PGA Tour, as well as any place else," Kendall said. "I think it's just a matter of time. Hopefully, this will be mine."
But there is plenty of work left, and plenty of proven players on his heels going into a weekend on the Ayrshire Coast where the famed wind of Troon has yet to show its teeth.
Vijay Singh and Ernie Els were among those three shots behind.
"We've put ourselves in contention," Els said. "Let's see what happens."
Lurking
Masters champion Phil Mickelson and U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen were lurking four shots back, along with former Masters champion Mike Weir.
Tiger Woods was six back, keeping alive his hopes of ending an 0-for-8 drought in the majors.
"I'm right there with a chance," he said after a 71.
Everyone is chasing a guy who used to wait tables at an Olive Garden in Florida and hit balls in a grassy field -- still wearing his black trousers, white shirt and bow tie -- between the lunch and dinner shifts.
Kendall is scrappy at 150 pounds and full of self-belief. When he sat down for his interview and noticed some names scribbled on the veneer table, he figured he was supposed to sign it, too. But a Royal & amp; Ancient official politely told him that it was only for British Open champions, and he would have to wait until Sunday night.
"I know there's a long way to go and this is only halfway done," said Kendall, who was at 7-under 135. "Hopefully, I'll be signing my name right here in a couple of days."
What promised to be a second round of raging winds was merely a replica of the first day, with only a fresh breeze off the Firth of Clyde that hardly kept the world's top players from good scores.
Quick birdies
Levet, who qualified for the British Open by winning last week in Loch Lomond with a final-round 63, made two quick birdies and was the leader for most of the day. He wound up with a 70, his only blemish coming at the 12th when a chip up the slope rolled back to his feet.
"You look like an idiot when you make mistakes like that," Levet said. "It's what happens when you play so good. I was not missing a green. I didn't have a chip since yesterday."
K.J. Choi (69) and Barry Lane of England (70) were at 137, while the heavyweights weighed in at 4-under 138.
Els had another great performance at the Postage Stamp eighth hole that only felt like another ace. His tee shot landed in an awkward lie in the bunker, he blasted out to 30 feet and made it for par. Els also chipped in for birdie on the par-3 14th and wound up with a 69 for the fifth straight time at Royal Troon.
"I guess it's a good number for Troon," Els said with slight resignation. "We had good weather again today, so I felt I could have shot better than that. But I shot what I shot."