Olazabal opens 9-shot lead in World Series

Jose Maria Olazabal continued his record-breaking assault on oneof America's most difficult courses and threatened to run away fromthe winners-only field in the World Series of Golf at Akron, Ohio.

The 24-year-old Spaniard added a 3-under-par 67 to his opening61 and reached the tournament halfway point Friday with a 128 totaland a 9-stroke lead.

The huge 36-hole lead may be the largest in the history of thePGA Tour.

"I know everyone else is saying it is now mine to lose," saidOlazabal, the brightest young star on the European circuit but aninfrequent competitor in this country.

His closest pursuers, U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin and LarryMize, agreed that Olazabal must back away for anyone else to have achance.

Olazabal's total is 12 under par and - by three strokes - therecord for two rounds at Firestone. The 36-hole score also is - bytwo strokes - the best of any of the 34 PGA Tour events this season.

Irwin and Mize shared second at 137, Irwin with a solid,3-under-par 67 and Mize with a scrambling 71.

CHATTANOOGA: Peter Persons holed a 60-foot chip shot for aneagle-3 on the 17th hole, vaulting him ahead of the field for a2-stroke lead at 128 in the $500,000 PGA Chattanooga (Tenn.) Classic.

Persons turned in his second straight round of 6-under-par 64 tomove ahead of Mitch Adcock, who also began the day at 6-under 64, andfirst-round leader Steve Lowery at 10-under 130.

George Burns shot a 4-under 66 and is tied for third place withRobert Zokol, Jeff Wilson and Billy Tuten at 9-under 131.

LPGA: Barb Bunkowsky matched her career-low round with a7-under-par 65 to lead by one stroke after the first round of the$375,000 Northgate Classic in Brooklyn Park, Minn.

Beth Daniel, Cindy Rarick and Chris Johnson shared second placeat 66. Nina Foust and Vicki Fergon were three shots behind at 68.

SENIORS: Bob Brue had seven birdies and shot a 6-under-par 66for a 1-stroke lead in the $350,000 GTE Northwest Classic in Kenmore,Wash.

Don Bies shot a 67. Tied at 68 were Tom Shaw, Chi Chi Rodriguezand Harold Henning, while George Archer and Walt Zembriski were at69.

Bruce Crampton, winner of the inaugural GTE Northwest Classic in1986 and a repeat winner in 1988, came in with a 70. A 10-way tie at71 included defending champion Al Geiberger.

U.S. AMATEUR: Two-time NCAA champion Phil Mickelson advanced tothe quarterfinals in Denver, overtaking Mike Swingle with a birdie onthe par-5 17th hole - the same hole that eliminated Jay Sigel earlierin the day.

Mickelson, 20, of Arizona State, is the lone favorite still inthe field. Defending champion Chris Patton bowed out in the openinground Thursday, and Sigel lost to former tour pro Mike Brannan in thesecond round.

Mickelson, who edged Swingle 1 up, will meet Bob May today. Mayhad to go 22 holes to get by Bill Edwards 1 up in the third round.