Anthony kim and Johnson Wagner, former Houston champs, back in contention after 36 holes

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Defending champion Anthony Kim's 64 on Friday was the low round of the day.

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Chris Duncan

Associated Press

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Course knowledge matters at the Shell Houston Open.

PGA Tour rookie Chris Kirk shot a 3-under 69 on Friday to take a one-stroke lead over defending champion Anthony Kim and 2008 winner Johnson Wagner after two rounds at Redstone.

Kirk was 9 under par, and played his last few holes just as the wind picked up in the afternoon and made scoring more difficult.

Kim and Wagner took advantage of the calm morning conditions and used their background at the course to move into contention. Kim shot a 64, the lowest round of the day, and Wagner had a 67.

"I've got very good feelings as soon as I step on the property here," Wagner said.

Padraig Harrington, first-round leader Jimmy Walker and Josh Teater were two shots back at 7 under.

Organizers groomed the Tournament Course at Redstone to simulate conditions that players will see at the Masters next week, and the set-up lured many of the world's top players to Houston.

Phil Mickelson (70) and Lee Westwood (72) were part of a large group at 4 under and Ernie Els (72) and Fred Couples (72) were among the players at 1 under.

Kim is trying to become the first back-to-back winner of the event since Vijay Singh won in 2004 and '05, the last two years it was played at the adjacent Members Course.

The Tournament Course became the host in 2006, and Kim has enjoyed almost every visit.

Before he turned pro, Kim was the only player to break par in winning a collegiate event here in 2006. He tied for fifth in the Houston Open as a tour rookie in 2007 and shot three sub-70 rounds last year to earn his third career victory.

"It helps, knowing I played well before, knowing I made a couple putts when it mattered," he said. "Some shots I had are similar, some putts I had are very similar, so I try to remember those things, and play off that."

Kim's 64 was four strokes better than his lowest round when he won last year.

Starting on the back nine, Kim made six birdies in his first 10 holes, including chip-ins on Nos. 12 and 16. He needed only 22 putts to equal his lowest round since January.

Kim said before the tournament that his swing needed major retooling and that he spent several days working with coach Adam Schreiber on changes. Kim's gratified that the work is already producing results.

"It feels great to have that feeling of confidence and go out there, make some good golf swings and make a couple of putts after that," Kim said.

Wagner feels a more emotional connection to Redstone, after earning his first tour victory here three years ago. He needs to win this week to qualify for the Masters, but says next week's major has hardly crossed his mind.

A Charlotte resident, Wagner ranks the tournament at Quail Hollow near his home and the Houston event as important as any he plays all year.

"There are a few regular tour events that I treat as a major," he said. "Houston and Charlotte will always be my two favorite events that we play."

Kirk has some background at Redstone, too. He played for Georgia and competed in the same collegiate event that Kim won in 2006.

"I think he likes this course," Kirk said. "I shot a bunch of 74s, or so, nothing very memorable."

Kirk, second on the Nationwide Tour money list last year, birdied two of his last three holes to take the outright lead and make up for a double bogey on the par-5 4th.

"I made one bad swing off the tee, and it wasn't even really that bad," Kirk said. "One of those things. No matter how good you're playing, that kind of stuff happens sometimes."

Harrington also ran into trouble, after briefly tying for the lead early Friday. He made three straight bogeys on his back nine to fall back, then reached the par-5 8th in two shots to set up an eagle to get back to 7 under.

"I just fell asleep there," said Harrington, sporting a beard this weekend because he forgot to pack a razor. "I really kind of battened down the hatches for the last couple of holes, trying to not make too many mistakes after I lost my way."

The average score for the players who started in the morning (71.46) was more than two shots better than the average for the players who teed off later in the day (73.78).

"As that wind picked up, the ground got really firm," Kirk said. "You had to be a little more careful, really think your way around."

Former President George H.W. Bush watched the early rounds from a golf cart and greeted Mickelson and Couples as they walked off greens. Bush regularly attends major sporting events in Houston, where he lives.

Jones Makes the Switch to 46

Posted Aug 20, 2008

By Mike Duffy



Former linebacker Edgar Jones took the practice field Tuesday as a tight end.


Former outside linebacker Edgar Jones took the practice field Tuesday with a new look, trading his white No. 91 for a purple No. 46.

While attempting to sort through their tight end position now that Todd Heap and Daniel Wilcox have returned to the field, the Ravens have turned to Jones as an unlikely candidate to join the fray.

Jones dabbled on offense during offseason minicamps, where he saw brief duty at the position when a rash of injuries thinned the corps.

It seems that this time, the move is for real.

“We want to give it a little more of a full-blown experiment,” said head coach John Harbaugh. “We want to give him a week or two in there to see how he does. He’s played well at linebacker, he knows the linebacker position.

“We feel like we can move him back there at any time and he’ll do just fine for us. But, we want to see if he can help us at tight end.”

Switching to 46 allows Jones to play at both spots during games because linebackers and tight ends can each wear numbers in the 40s.

Seeing the new digits next to his nameplate in the locker room drove the move home for Jones.

“During the offseason, I took it as a joke and that they were just working me in,” he said with a laugh. “I didn’t take it too seriously until coach Harbaugh called me into his office. And then, I saw the 46 on my locker, so I knew what was happening.”

If the “experiment” does prove successful, Jones could be a commodity for the Ravens. A hybrid tight end/linebacker might free up a precious roster spot when NFL clubs cut down to their final 53-man squad on Aug. 30.

“The thing about a guy like that, the value you’d have, is a guy who could play both ways,” Harbaugh noted. “He could be an emergency linebacker and then give you a lot of value on special teams, as well.”

The transition might not be all that difficult for Jones. The 6-foot-3, 263-pounder has extensive tight end experience in his past.

A Louisiana native, Jones was a standout tight end at Rayville High School, where he earned All-District honors four times.

Additionally, Jones was a three-time All-State selection on the basketball court, a sport that helped develop his nimble footwork.



“All through high school, I played tight end and receiver,” he said. “I was more of a receiving tight end. They threw the ball to me a lot. There was a little bit of blocking, but I was more the receiving type.”



Even if the Ravens haven't seen any highlight tapes from those Rayville days, the team still believes Jones’ varied athletic background makes him an excellent candidate to convert at the professional level.

“He’s a rangy athlete that can run,” Harbaugh commented. “From the blocking perspective we suspect he can do it because he comes off the ball so well on defense, uses his hat and hands, and can push a tight end around.

“We figured we’d maybe flip that around and see how it goes.”

He had already made the flip when he arrived at Southeast Missouri State, a small school in the Football Championship Subdivision. As a senior, Jones led the nation in sacks with 12 in 2006, prompting the Ravens to sign him as a rookie free agent the next year.

Against the odds of any undrafted player, Jones made the active roster at the end of training camp and even saw action in four games, posting five tackles, one sack and two special teams stops.

Now, he doesn’t see changing sides of the ball as unfavorable odds, even if he hears the cat calls from his former defensive teammates. Jones just takes it as a new test along the way to a promising career.

"This is exciting,” Jones said, flashing his ever-present wide smile. “It’s a blessing just to be in the NFL itself. But, going from the defense to the offense is a challenge to me.

"I’m going to step up to the plate and meet it.”