Golf | Fowler, Owen share lead at PGA Tour event

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Rickie Fowler is making his presence felt in a hurry as a professional golfer.

The 20-year-old former Oklahoma State standout, in his second PGA Tour event since turning pro, shared the lead with Englishman Greg Owen halfway through the Frys.com Open on Friday.

Both shot 6-under-par 64s in the second round in ideal conditions on the Raptor Course at Grayhawk Golf Club to reach 11-under 129.

Justin Leonard also shot a 64 and was one stroke behind at 10 under. Ryan Moore (65) of Puyallup and first-round leader Nick O'Hern (68) were tied for fourth at 9 under in the third stop of the PGA Tour's Fall Series.

Heath Slocum was in a group of five at 8 under. Troy Matteson shot a 61 and was in a pack with Tom Lehman (65) and Rocco Mediate (66), among others, at 7 under. Seattle native Fred Couples (69) was tied for 36th place at 4 under.

Players with scores of 140 and worse missed the cut, a group that included Kirk Triplett (70-74 — 144), a graduate of Pullman High School.

Fowler, who helped the United States beat Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup last month, tied for seventh in his first PGA Tour start as a pro last week in Las Vegas at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

He was even for the round through five holes Friday, then kicked his game into high gear with an eagle on the par-4, 345-yard sixth.

"I swung out about as hard as I could and hit it about as hard as I could and it went about as straight as a ball could go," Fowler said. "I ended up about 12 feet behind the hole and rolled in a good putt to kind of get things jump started."

The youngster was unflappable throughout the round, which ended with a birdie on No. 18.

This wasn't all new to him.

He noted he had played "a few Tour events" as an amateur, including two U.S. Opens. He also played stops on the Nationwide Tour and two Walker Cups.

Fowler, who lives in Las Vegas, seems a natural for the game. He says he hasn't had a swing coach since high school.

Owen entered the event 116th on the 2009 earnings list with $677,627. The top 125 automatically qualify for next year's Tour.

"First of all, a good week would mean I've got a job for next year," he said.

Other tournaments

• Keith Clearwater and Russ Cochran, rookies on the 50-and-older Champions Tour, shot 5-under 66s for the lead in the AT&T Championship in San Antonio.

• Matt Every shot a course-record, 9-under 63 to take a one-stroke lead in the season-ending Nationwide Tour Championship in Charleston, S.C. He was at 11-under 133. Michael Sim (70) and fellow Australian Cameron Percy (65) were tied for second.

The top 25 on the earnings list after the tournament earn 2010 PGA Tour cards. Alex Prugh (68), a former Washington Husky from Spokane, was tied for 28th place at 2 under and, according to the Tour Web site, is assured of finishing in the top 25 on the money list.

Jeff Gove (73) of Seattle was tied for 52nd place at 3 over.