K.J. Choi ties course record

Associated Press

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa.

If seeing the putts drop for birdie were not enough, K.J. Choi noticed his gallery growing and getting more excited for him Friday at Aronimink in the AT&T National.

“I started feeling that ... I’m working toward a special round,” Choi said.

With five birdies over his last six holes, Choi had a 6-under 64 to match the lowest score in the two years the AT&T National has been played at Aronimink. It gave him a two-shot lead over Chris Riley, Charlie Wi, Justin Leonard and Bo Van Pelt.

Another day of brilliant weather did little to ease the scoring conditions on this classic course in the Philadelphia suburbs. Choi made it look easy at the end of the round by keeping it in the fairway and giving himself good looks at birdie. Three of his birdie putts were from about 10 feet or longer, and he closed out his round with a wedge into 16 inches for one last birdie.

Choi, already having a big year with his win at The Players Championship, was at 7-under 133 going into the weekend. He won the inaugural AT&T National in 2007 when it was played at Congressional, so the calendar might be more relevant than the course when it comes to his good play at this event.

“This is a golf course where you can run up a bunch of bogeys,” Wi said after his 66. “You’re not going to lose too many spots if you make par. If you stay patient out here, that’s probably the most important thing.”

Riley also relied on his putter, as he often does, running off three straight birdies late in his round for a 66. Riley is one of the best putters on tour, yet he benched his regular putter for a few years until going back to his old one.

And it’s really an old one.

“It’s a 1970 Ping Anser,” Riley said, making it a club older than he is.

Van Pelt three-putted his opening hole for the second straight day, then bounced right back with a birdie that he called his most important of the day. He made five more birdies for a 66. More than any one shot, he has kept the golf course in front of him without going sideways — either in the rough off the tee, or on the wrong side of the hole.

Like so many others, he thought the course and the way it was set up was close to perfect, even with greens slightly softer than he expected under the warm sunshine of the afternoon.

If there was a surprise in the group at 5-under 135, it might be Leonard. He has struggled mightily this year, and decided after last week to part with his longtime caddie. The bigger change was his putting, which made the game feel a lot easier than it used to.

“I’m glad I played a couple of rounds I can build on,” Leonard said. “I’m playing late on a Saturday, which is nice. It’s been a while.”