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43 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, March 20, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend January 28, 2005 Allred continues hot streak with 65 Former Ashland High star is tied for fourth place at Bob Hope following career-best round Staff, wire reports LA QUINTA, Calif. — Jason Allred’s goal always has been to be in contention during the last nine holes on the last day of a golf tournament. "I have 2½ rounds left until the fun really begins," he said after shooting a 7-under-par 65 Thursday at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. "I just need to keep plugging away to get to the back nine on Sunday." It looks like he’s having plenty of fun, having climbed into a tie for fourth place, four shots behind the leader but one shot out of second. Sizzling Joe Ogilvie is clear of the field at 17 under. Advertisement Defending champion Phil Mickelson and Fredrik Jacobson are tied at 14 under, and Allred is in a group at 13 under with Fred Couples, Billy Mayfair, Peter Lonard and first-round co-leader Robert Damron. The tournament is played on four courses, and Allred is in the group of professionals who are paired with celebrities and amateurs. That will continue through Saturday, when the top 70 pros and ties make the cut to Sunday’s final round. Allred, who took the field by storm with a 29 on his back nine in Wednesday’s opening round, didn’t dawdle on Thursday. He eagled the par-5 first hole at Tamarisk Country Club, made the turn in 4 under and finished with a birdie 4 at the 18th hole. "It feels great to have two good rounds," said Allred. "Yesterday I shot my best round as a PGA player, and today I beat that." Allred got into the tournament on a sponsor’s exemption, one of eight players to do so. One reason was he has local ties. He attended Palm Desert High School his junior year, competing on the golf team. After the first couple holes of the tournament, Allred said, it was odd playing with amateurs who aren’t at the skill level of his usual playing partners. But it didn’t take long to adjust. The first day, his partners included pitcher Mark Mulder and singer Aaron Lewis. On Thursday, Allred played with actor Kevin Sorbo and business broadcaster Joe Kernen. "More than anything," said Allred, "I might as well use this to my advantage and relax and have fun. I smiled and laughed and joked around. It’s been good. It’s an easy way to get my mind off trying so hard and really grinding." Even though Allred ranks second among the pros in driving distance this week with an average of 306 yards on measured holes, Mulder, he said, hit his driver "way further than I do. He kills the ball. "It’s fun for me to play with these guys. They’re great guys, and they’re obviously good at what they do. It’s a treat for me, and I think it is for them, too." Allred carried over a hot putting stroke from the first day and is tied for 11th in putts per greens in regulation. On Thursday, it began with the eagle putt on his first hole, a short par 5 measuring just under 500 yards. Allred busted his drive down the middle, launched a full 6-iron to 15 feet past the cup and sank the putt. "I had a fast downhiller," he said. "I hit a good putt, and it was fun to watch it go right into the middle of the hole. It was a great way to start. That kept my confidence going. I didn’t hit it particularly great today. More than anything, I gave myself a chance to make a lot of putts." He birdied holes 8, 9 and 10 with good putts but considered the 13th and 14th holes crucial to keeping his fine round together. Poor iron shots into both greens left him difficult chips, but in each instance, he made about 20-foot putts to save par and remain at 6 under. Allred had some "squirrelly shots," he said, but recovered nicely. "An area I’m slowly getting better at is managing my game," he said. "I’m playing so that my misses are in better spots, and that gives me a chance to make par. That’s a big difference." Allred tees off at 8:57 this morning at La Quinta Country Club. His celebrity partner is Michael Bolton. Ogilvie, meanwhile, began the five-day tournament with a 64. His 17-under 127 for two rounds is the third most shots below par through 36 holes in PGA Tour history. Tom Lehman was 19 under after two rounds at Las Vegas in 2001, and Joe Durant was 18 under on his way to winning the Hope earlier that year. The four-course format means some layouts are more difficult than others. "Mickelson shot a 64 today at La Quinta," said Ogilvie, who had his 63 at Bermuda Dunes. "I’d say technically he’s probably leading. Score-wise, I am, but technically I’d say he’s leading. "That’s Duke math," the former economics major added. Mickelson used different math. "I feel like I’m three back," he said. Mickelson was very complimentary. "I have a lot of respect for Joe Ogilvie on and off the course," he said. "I really like spending time with him because he’s one of the more intelligent guys that we have on the tour. His golf game speaks for itself. "He’s ready to win now, and it’s going to take all I can do to fight him off." Ogilvie capped his round with a daring shot on No. 18, when he lofted a 5-wood over palm trees within 5 feet of the pin and made the putt for an eagle on the 543-yard par 5. The 30-year-old Ogilvie is coming off a successful if unspectacular year on the tour. He earned $1.4 million, more than his previous four years combined. His best finish is a tie for second last year at New Orleans. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Slippers Student Loans afsa teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoo Advertisement s