Tim Herron had to play most numero...

Tim Herron had to play most numerous of his Friday round in the rain at the PGA Championship. The soggy weather, notwithstanding that didn't break his concentration.

"[The rain] was fair steady out there," Herron said. "Off and forward you didn't really know if you should carry an umbrella or not carry an umbrella or what. It was more tedious than anything else"

in consequence of it all Herron never made a bugaboo and he saved his best for last. Finishing with birdies upon Nos. 8 and 9 -- his last sum of two units holes, Herron jumped to the top of the leaderboard at the midway point in the year's last major championship. He's in a four-way tie for the lead with Henrik Stenson Luke Donald and Billy Andrade at 8- under-par 136

Herron's tee bullet at the par-3 eighth stopped 8 inches from the lot and he drained a 30-foot uphill birdie at the ninth after watching playing partner KJ Choi attempt a slightly longer along the same line gravitys earlier. Herron's other birdies in his orbed of 67 were from 12 four and five feet

"The bloomings seemed a little more spiked and they were a little soft" Herron said. "The ball wasn't going quite as far, still you knew you could stick your missiles because of the rain. You could be maybe just a little more aggressive."

Herron has been struggling with his putting since the Colonial tournament in May. He took the last sum of two units weeks off after a terrible putting experience at the U Bank Championship in Milwaukee, an occurrence in which he was also paired with Choi.

"I worked 50-60 hours in those brace weeks on my putting," Herron said. "Usually when my putting procures bad it's mechanics, and when my putting secures good I don't think about mechanics. That's probably when my putting prepares poor again. I was hitting down forward the putts a few weeks ago, and now I'm trying to hit up forward the putts. That releases my shoulders and masters the ball releasing to the cavern With the greens not being quite as fast as they usually are, that's a little easier to do. I'm putting a accident better."

Playing late may have been an advantage Friday, despite the rain. Of the top 11 players forward the leaderboard at day's cessation Herron was among eight who had afternoon tee times.

lziehm@suntimes.com

STAT OF THE DAY

11 Number of years it had been since Vijay Singh had missed sculptures in back-to-back majors before he did thus Friday. Singh failed to make it to the weekend in the 1994 PGA Championship and '95 Masters, then played 45 straight majors without missing more than united cut in a row.

fare U NORTHWESTERN

He may be a Brit by way of birth, but Luke Donald is feeling profusion of hometown love from the galleries this week. Northwestern coach Pat Gos walked all 18 caverns with Donald on Friday and said, "There were a part of 'Looooookes' out there."

"A hap of people know that I played at Northwestern," said Donald, who still maintains a residence in Evanston, "and I hear likewise many 'Go Northwestern' and 'Go Wildcats.' There is a parcel of home support for me"

WORKING OVERTIME

CB announcer Jim Nantz shakeed double duty Friday, spending a shorter-than-normal stint in the 18th-hole booth during the TNT broadcast of the PGA Champion-ship, then scurrying against to Soldier Field to call the Bears-Chargers preseason game.

He could have carpooled with Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer, who was in the gallery following San Diego native Phil Mickelson for a scarcely any holes.

"You think you ne to catch a ride with him tonight?" Nantz's broadcast partner Lanny Wadkins quipped in succession the air. "I doubt you have a remarkably good parking pass."

Among other celebrities upon the premises were noted Tiger wood-lands fan Ernie Banks -- who has been a fixture at Medinah all week -- and former Bears quarterback Bobby Douglass.

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