Tiger says he WILL play at Doral next week

Tiger Woods, a six-time winner of the World Golf Championships-CA Championship, has committed to play in next week's event at Doral.
Woods will make his second US PGA Tour start of the year after missing eight months due to knee surgery in 2008. He made his return last week in World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, where he was knocked out in the second round by Tim Clark.
Woods has a stellar record at Doral's Blue Monster course. He was fifth to Geoff Ogilvy last year, breaking his streak of three consecutive wins at the famed course.
The World Golf Championships-CA Championship features a world-class field of the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings, the top 10 of the FedExCup point standings and top 10 of the European Tour's Race to Dubai after this week's The Honda Classic.
The final field will be set at 5 p.m. USA Eastern Time on Friday.

Murray Carnie (left) and Paul Lawrie at a question-and-answer session with Stonehaven Golf Club junior members.

Paul Lawrie giving back to golf - far more

than even an Open champion gets out of it

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
He might never have met Albert Einstein, but it is fair to say that European Tour professional Paul Lawrie, nevertheless, is following one of the great man’s most famous quotations to the letter.
The noted physicist once memorably said: “It is every man’s obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it.” In Lawrie’s case, in terms of encouraging children into golf, the 40-year-old Scot has more than met those obligations already….and then some.
In 2001, two years after his greatest triumph – winning The 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie – Lawrie decided it was time to give something back to the game and The Paul Lawrie Junior Golf Programme was born.
Aided by a selection of partners, Lawrie’s initial aim was to offer children the opportunity to experience the game; improve their skills; ease the transition from participation to the club environment; and play to the best of their ability or interest.
Little did he know that from relatively humble beginnings, the concept would grow to such a size that somewhere in the region of 11,000 children have benefited over the past eight years. Indeed, such is its influence that The R&A in St Andrews has recently helped with a donation of £25,000.
The growth of the scheme has also initiated a change of name as it is now known as The Paul Lawrie Foundation to recognise the development into other sports aside from golf – as the Foundation now funds tennis tournaments and football events as well as having taken the first tentative steps into hockey and rugby too.
Such growth sees the Foundation now employ full-time staff. Murray Carnie is Lawrie’s right hand man in terms of the day-to-day affairs but the Scot’s golf coaches, Adam Hunter and Neil Marr, also give their time freely as does former Aberdeen footballer Jockie Lawrence who runs the football affairs. Of course, Lawrie’s wife Marian remains a constant source of support in all matters as she has done since day one.
Primarily, the Foundation’s activities centre around Lawrie’s home city of Aberdeen and the north-east of Scotland but its tentacles are growing. Evidence of that has come this year with the setting up of a Junior Jug competition which will feature eight qualifying events all over Scotland with the winners meeting in the Finals at Dundonald Golf Club in September where the eventual champions will receive replicas of Lawrie’s Open Championship Claret Jug.
Allied to that, the Foundation regularly helps primary school children have the opportunity to try an adapted form of the game called TRI-GOLF, while a series of Flag events in the Aberdeen area on most Sundays throughout the summer months regularly attract hundreds of competitors. Depending on his own schedule, Lawrie himself attends these Flag events and is a regular visitor to primary schools across the region too.
“I was very fortunate when I was young because I was helped by a guy called Stewart Spence who owns The Marcliffe Hotel in Aberdeen and who still continues to support the Foundation,” said Lawrie.

"Stewart Spence helped me gain sponsors, gave me money and he gave me a car and I just thought, in my opinion, there are not enough professionals helping young kids and passing on what they have learned.
“I wanted to give back but more importantly I wanted to give back when I was still a current player because it is easy to do it when you have retired and you have all the time in the world. I wanted to make sure that the kids could see me, and see me still playing out there, and be able to ask me questions when I was still competing at a good level.
“I have been doing a lot of school visits over the winter where I go for a couple of hours and take the Claret Jug with me and while I’m there the kids play golf in the gym hall and then we have a bit of a question-and-answer session with them at the end. I have been to around 13 schools over the past few months and we are trying to fit in a few more over the next few weeks.
“I absolutely love it. It still amazes me that I can go to a school even in the city where I live in and 10-year-old kids know who I am. That gives me a tremendous kick and hopefully I manage to put my enthusiasm for the whole thing back into the kids’ days too.
“You get some great questions – but that is the fun of it. We had one boy who stood up in the middle of the class, he had his foot turned out to the side and his hands deep in his pockets like he was obviously the ‘Johnnie Cool’ of the class.
“I had the Claret Jug next to me on the table and he said to me; “So, you are telling me you only have one of them?” I said, “Yes,” and he sat down and said, “That’s not very good is it!!” Stuff like that is priceless and you just have to laugh – what else can you do? I had no option to do that one other time too when one of the kids asked me which year it was that I had won Wimbledon!” As well as planting the seed of the game of golf in the hearts and minds of primary school children, Lawrie is also involved with the players at the other end of the spectrum, working with the Scottish Golf Union’s Elite Squad.
“I have been involved in a couple of training days with the SGU now which are good fun. I do swing stuff with them and the boys get to ask me anything they want too. They also go through mock interviews and I try to help them.
“I was a good player before The Open but all of a sudden I was thrown into the deep end in terms of media stuff and that is what can happen to these boys. They might be fairly decent amateurs but now they are in the Elite Squad they find themselves having to talk to the media. So I thought I would be the perfect guy to try and pass on a little bit of what that is like and how to deal with it.”
Every Scottish golf fan hopes, naturally, that one of the Elite Squad will follow in Lawrie’s footsteps and win The Open Championship and while the Aberdonian conceded that would be great to witness, he also admitted it was not the primary motivation for his Foundation.
“My goal was never to have a world beater come out of this,” he said. “The role of the Foundation is to introduce children to the game, to let them try it and if they don’t like it, I have no problem with that. But you need to have the chance to try it and I don’t think that is happening enough. Golf can be an expensive sport and so the idea was to let them experience it and see where they go from there.
“These young kids look up to players like us and it is great when they go along to meet us and get a kick out of it. When I started, a lot of people raised some question marks and said, ‘Why are you doing it now, you have just won The Open and you’re really busy etc etc,’ but that is the whole point of it for me.
“I need the kids to see that I can do this. When I am out on Tour, I am playing and focussed totally on playing but when I am at home, I have stuff to do for the Foundation. I try and use all my spare time on it – it takes up a lot of time but I enjoy it. That is the most important thing.”
Further proof of Lawrie’s commitment to junior golf came last week. While many professionals, after a week of warm weather practice in Spain, might come home and relax in front of the television, Lawrie got off the flight and drove straight home to Aberdeen to oversee a dinner for over 40 Junior Golf Conveners to outline his Foundation’s plans for 2009.
You do not have to be a genius – like Albert Einstein – to work out that the golfing kids of Aberdeen and the north east of Scotland are very fortunate indeed to have such an exceptional role model on their doorsteps

Scotland facing defeat by Sweden with

five Sardina singles to be completed

You've heard about the Rain in Spain ... well it seems to have shifted to Italy, or the Italian island of Sardinia to be more precise.
That's where this year's boys' international quadrangular between Scotland, Italy, France and Sweden is being played. Well "being played" is perhaps over-stating things.
The first day's play on Thursday was disrupted by rain which reduced the number of foursomes per match to one and the number of singles from six to four.
The rain was even worse today and the majority of the Day 2 singles will not be completed until Saturday morning.
Today, the Scots, who lost 3-2 to hosts Italy on Thursday, were facing the on-form Swedish side who beat France 4-1. Sweden took a 2-1 lead over the Scots in the morning foursomes.
Scott Gibson and Paul McPhee were Scotland's only pre-lunch winners. They beat Axel Arinbjornarson and Adam Strom 4 and 3.
Team captain David Law and Paul Shields lost their tie by 2 and 1 to Niclas Carlsson and Oscar Arvidsson 2 and 1.
Joakim Lagergren and Robin Kukocinski claimed the second vital point for Sweden. They beat Jack Scott and Andrew McLachlan 4&3.
After another 2hr delay because of bad weather, there was only time left for one singles tie to be completed, possibly because it finished early. Scott Gibson was beaten 6 and 5 by Robin Kukocinski.
Sweden, leading by two points overnight, look set to score their second overall win of the tournament. Their boys are leading in three of the five singles with only a few holes still to be played. They will have an early breakfast and be out on the course at 7am on Saturday..
Here is the status of the Scotland v Sweden singles still to finish:

David Law is two down with two to play against Niclas Carlsson.
Andrew McLachlan is three up with three to play against Axel Arinbjornarson.
Paul McPhee is three down with four to play against Joakim Lagergren.
Jack Scott is four up with four to play against Adam Strom.
Paul Shields is two down with three to play against Oscar Arvidsson.

The Aberdour Golf Club champions' board. If you click the image you can enlarge it.

Stuart Meiklejohn was Aberdour club champion

17 years in a row ... and then had to retire

Recently we asked readers if they knew of any male club champion who had won the title 10 ore more years in a row.

Scottishgolfview.com has been informed that Stuart Meiklejohn was Aberdour Golf Club champion 17 years in a row "... and it would have been 23 if he had not been injured and had to retire."

Women who have won their club titles many years in a row are more common than on the men's side. Pat Shepherd, from memory, was Turriff Golf Club ladies' champion more than 20 times in succession.

If you can add anything to the list of multi-club champions, E-mail Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Reponse from Graeme Hogg (Oldmeldrum GC):

I was just reading your article on multi-club champions and would like to throw the name of Janice Florence of Oldmeldrum in to the hat. I am not sure exactly how many time she has won or how many in a row but I am sure it is around about 20 times if not more. I will be up at the club on Saturday and will have a look at the ladies' champion board to find out exactly.

Ace Davies one shot off pace in

Singha Thailand Open

Edinburgh-born Welshman Rhys Davies is lying in second place at the halfway stage of the Singha Thailand Open, after shooting a six-under-par 64 - which included a hole-in-one - for a 36-hole tally of 11-under-par 129 - one shot behind India’s S.S.P. Chowrasia who stormed to the front with a 62.

The Indian stand-out needed only 25 putts at the par-70 Laguna Phuket Golf Club to top the leaderboard on 12-under-par 128, one stroke ahead of Davies, pictured above, who sank a magical hole-in-one en route to a 64 in the US$500,000 Asian Tour event.
Young Indian Gaganjeet Bhullar is third after a 66 while Australian David Bransdon stayed in touch in fourth place following a 65. Thailand’s hopes were carried by unheralded Udorn Duangdecha, whose second straight 66 left him within touching distance of the new tournament leader on 132.
Since winning the Indian Masters early last year for his career breakthrough, Chowrasia’s form dipped due to a combination of factors but a new putter has reignited his game.
“I’ve been practising my putting a lot. It was very bad the last few weeks but it’s come good,” said Chowrasia, who used a local caddie today after his regular bagman Pritan Sikia returned to India on Thursday following a family bereavement.
“I put a new putter in the bag last week. The old one was a bit shut and this new putter has a loft which is two or three degrees more open. I was missing a lot of putts left previously,” he said.
Chowrasia’s bogey-free card was sprinkled with eight birdies but none was sweeter than the one on the eighth hole, his penultimate of the day, when he holed a wedge shot from 110 yards after finding trouble in the trees.
“It was good to get that birdie as I was struggling for par,” said the 30-year-old Chowrasia, who is the son of a greenskeeper. “My putting is coming back and I’m driving it well. I’m confident of playing well this weekend.”
Davies, who enjoyed a strong rookie season last year with three top-10s, holed his five iron tee shot at the par-3 seventh hole for his first ace in the play-for-pay ranks.
“I was one over after six holes and not really knowing what was going on. I then holed a five iron which changed my demeanour. I went from there, birdied the next three holes and nearly holed it again on the par-3 11th and then missed that short putt! I kept going and managed to birdie 15 and 18 coming in,” said the 23-year-old, who represented Great Britain and Ireland in the 2007 Walker Cup at Royal County Down.
Davies hopes to sustain his quest for a first professional victory and feels that last year’s play-off defeat to Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand off at the Hana Bank Vietnam Masters will serve him well.
“I’m in a good position. I learned that I could compete at the top of the leaderboard which is the most important thing. I handled myself under pressure and played well down the stretch,” said Davies.
Big-hitting Bhullar, 20, was disappointed with his two bogeys on the seventh and 17th holes, where he three-putted and drove into the water hazard respectively. But the young Indian was pleased to force his way into contention.
“That was decent but I dropped two silly shots. I am hitting the ball well. Fingers crossed, I’ll be alright for the weekend. I’ll need to be patient. If I can, I’ll be okay,” said Bhullar.
Like Chowrasia, Bransdon also switched putters, opting for a broomhandle putter after hitting 18 greens in regulation in Malaysia and carding a 74 several weeks ago. “It’s been pleasing as I’ve not had good days this year,” said the Australian, who missed two cuts out of three starts this season.
“I was pretty desperate as I’ve not broken 36 puts for three rounds. Something needed to change. I was hitting it close and not making anything,” he added.
Overnight leaders Mitchell Brown of Australia and Indian Digvijay Singh slipped back after rounds of 71 and 73 respectively while Thai star Thongchai made the halfway cut right on the mark of 139 after a 70.
SECOND-ROUND LEADERS

Par 140 (2 x 70)

128 S.S.P. Chowrasia (Ind) 66 62
129 Rhys Davies (Wal) 65 64
130 Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind) 64 66
131 David Bransdon (Aus) 66 65
132 Tim Stewart (Aus) 65 67, Udorn Duangdecha (Tha) 66 66
133 Chapchai Nirat (Tha) 64 69, Lu Wei-Chih (Tpe) 65 68, Mardan Mamat (Sin) 66 67
134 Mitchell Brown (Aus) 63 71, Keith Horne (Rsa) 65 69, Wu Ashun (Chn) 67 67, Angelo Que (Phi) 67 67, Darren Beck (Aus) 67 67, Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha) 68 66, Kodai Ichihara (Jpn) 68 66, Bryan Saltus (USA) 68 66, Kim Dae-Hyun (Kor) 70 64
135 Unho Park (Aus) 64 71, Kwanchai Tannin (Tha) 65 70, Anirban Lahiri (Ind) 68 67, Lam Chih Bing (Sin) 68 67, Jbe Kruger (Rsa) 68 67, Iain Steel (Mal) 69 66, Ben Leong (Mal) 69 66, Danny Chia (Mal) 69 66, Juvic Pagunsan (Phi) 70 65, Toni Karjalainen (Fin) 70 65, Prom Meesawat (Tha) 71 64, Jason Knutzon (USA) 72 63
136 Digvijay Singh (Ind) 63 73, Boonchu Ruangkit (Tha) 65 71, Mo Joong-Kyung (Kor) 65 71, Tetsuji Hiratsuka (Jpn) 66 70, Daniel Chopra (Swe) 67 69, Amandeep Johl (Ind) 67 69, Siddikur (Ban) 68 68, Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 68 68, Antonio Lascuna (Phi) 68 68, Varut Chomchalam (Tha) 69 67, Gavin Flint (Aus) 70 66
137 Himmat Rai (Ind) 65 72, Anthony Kang (USA) 67 70, Park Jun-Won (Kor) 67 70, Mark Purser (Nzl) 68 69, Andrew Dodt (Aus) 68 69, Shiv Kapur (Ind) 69 68, S. Siva Chandhran (Mal) 69 68, Rory Hie (Ina) 69 68, Zhang Lian-Wei (Chn) 70 67, Chris Campbell (Aus) 70 67
138 Artemio Murakami (Phi) 67 71, Chang Tse-Peng (Tpe) 67 71, Mars Pucay (Phi) 68 70, Frankie Minoza (Phi) 69 69, Yasin Ali (Eng) 70 68
139 Young Nam (Kor) 65 74, Vuttipong Puangkaew (Tha) 66 73, Shang Lei (Chn) 67 72, Adam Le Vesconte (Aus) 69 70, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 69 70, Nakul Vichitryuthasastr (Tha) 69 70, Neven Basic (Aus) 70 69, Thaworn Wiratchant (Tha) 70 69, Peter Cooke (Aus) 70 69, Jean Van De Velde (Fra) 70 69, Chaipat Darapanich (Tha) 72 67
MISSED THE CUT
140 Namchoak Tantipokakul (Tha) 67 73, Dinesh Chand (Fij) 67 73, Kao Bo-Song (Tpe) 68 72, Simon Griffiths (Eng) 69 71, Ally Mellor (Eng) 69 71, Suk Jong-Yul (Kor) 69 71, Andrew Marshall (Eng) 70 70, Scott Taylor (USA) 70 70, Jerome Delariarte (Phi) 70 70, Do Kim (Aus) 72 68, M. Sasidaran (Mal) 72 68, Lu Wen-Teh (Tpe) 72 68
141 Airil Rizman (Mal) 67 74, Yeh Chang-Ting (Tpe) 68 73, Achita Ounmuang (Tha) 68 73, Varit Chomchalam (Tha) 69 72, Wittawat Sae-Ung (Tha) 69 72, Panuwat Muenlek (Tha) 69 72, Chen Yuan-Chi (Tpe) 70 71, Will Yanagisawa (USA) 70 71, Sushi Ishigaki (Jpn) 71 70, Daisuke Maruyama (Jpn) 71 70
142 Andy Combe (Eng) 70 72, Hendrik Buhrmann (Rsa) 70 72, Zaw Moe (Mya) 70 72, C. Muniyappa (Ind) 70 72, Lin Wen-Hong (Tpe) 70 72, Somkiat Srisa-Nga (Tha) 70 72, Gaurav Ghei (Ind) 72 70, Narinrit Tantrakul (Tha) 72 70, Krisada Rangwat (Tha) 72 70, Shaaban Hussin (Mal) 74 68, Somchai Pongpaew (Tha) 76 66
143 Steven Tan (Mal) 68 75, Chawalit Plaphol (Tha) 69 74, Arjun Singh (Ind) 70 73, Ross Bain (Sco) 71 72, Atthaphon Prathummanee (Tha) 71 72, Sattaya Supupramai (Tha) 71 72, Thanyakorn Khrongpha (Tha) 74 69, Chinnarat Phadungsil (Tha) 75 68
144 Supakorn Utaipat (Tha) 67 77, Varan Isarabhakdi (Tha) 67 77, Rahil Gangjee (Ind) 68 76, Vasin Sripattranusorn (Tha) 70 74, Chan Yih-Shin (Tpe) 70 74, Pavit Tangkamolprasert (Tha) 70 74, Pijit Petchkasem (Tha) 71 73, Michael Light (Aus) 71 73, Methee Siripoch (Tha) 71 73, Hsu Mong-Nan (Tpe) 72 72, John Parry (Eng) 74 70, Adam Blyth (Aus) 75 69
145 Chanat Sakulpolphaisan (Tha) 69 76, Yutthaporn Pongsantiey (Tha) 71 74, Scott Barr (Aus) 72 73, Choengchai Panpumpo (Tha) 73 72
146 Emanuele Canonica (Ita) 71 75, Chiragh Kumar (Ind) 72 74, Lien Lu-Sen (Tpe) 72 74, Rohan Blizard (Aus) 72 74
147 Wilhelm Schauman (Swe) 73 74, Pasamet Pogamnerd (Tha) 73 74, Rick Kulacz (Aus) 73 74, Piya Swangarunporn (Tha) 74 73, Wang Ter-Chang (Tpe) 74 73
148 Ronnachai Jamnong (Tha) 73 75, Siraphop Srisakorn (Tha) 73 75, Olle Nordberg (Swe) 75 73, Poh Eng Wah (Sin) 75 73, Poramed Latlaen (Tha) 77 71
149 S Murthy (Mal) 72 77, Wisut Artjanawat (Tha) 73 76, Pornsakon Tipsanit (Tha) 73 76, Porameth Sonthirati (Tha) 75 74, Chris Roake (Eng) 79 70
150 Sirapong Maitreeyeunyong (Tha) 72 78, Adam Groom (Aus) 72 78, David Freeman (Hkg) 74 76, Pawin Inkhapradit (Tha) 78 72
151 Phiphatphong Naewsuk (Tha) 73 78, Nuphan Marpraneet (Tha) 73 78, Marcus Both (Aus) 73 78
154 George Coetzee (Rsa) 77 77
155 Richard Moir (Aus) 76 79
158 Jirapong Wongworakul (Tha) 81 77
Retired: Thammanoon Srirot (Tha) 73, Guido Van Der Valk (Ned) 73
Withdrew: Chris Rodgers (Eng) 77vies (Wal) 65-64

Solid start Down Under by Nairn

youngster Fraser Fotheringham

Nairn youngster Fraser Fotheringham, beaten finalist in the British boys golf championship of 2007, had a creditable first-round, one-over-par 73 to be lying joint 49th in a field of 157 for one of Australia's most prestigious amateur tournaments, the Riversdale Cup at Riversdale Golf Club, Victoria.
Fotheringham birdied the short first, the long 13th and the 18th, dropping shots at the short third, ninth, 10th and 11th in halves of 37 and 36.
Scots exile Stephen Speirs had a 72 for a share of 36th place.
Australian Jordan Sherratt leads by three shots with a nine-under-par 63. Defending champion Scott Arnold is joint fourth on 68.
The 72-hole stroke-play tournament ends on Monday.

First round leaders (Par 72)
Australian players unless stated
63 Jordan Sherratt.
66 Bryden Macpherson.
67 Daniel Nisbet.
68 Kevin Marques, Matt Jager, Scott Arnold, Lincoln Tighe.
Selected scores:
71 Adam Wainwright (Eng) (jt 21st).
72 Stephen Spiers (Sco) (jt 36th).
73 Jason Palmer (Eng), Fraser Fotheringham (Sco) (jt 49th).
74 Paul Buckley (Ire) (jt 70th).

Robert Allenby, another Wizard from

Oz, leads Honda Classic

Australia Rules at the moment in pro golf Stateside. After Geoff Ogilvy's World Match-play mastery, compatriot Robert Allenby has shot a four-under-par 66 to take a narrow lead during the first round of the Honda Classic in Florida.
Allenby birdied the final hole at PGA National Champion Course at Palm Beach to grab a one-shot advantage over six players including Spaniard Sergio Garcia and Stewart Cink before play was suspended due to darkness with nine players left on the course. They will conclude their rounds early today before the second round begins as scheduled.
Allenby, who was four under through 13 holes before alternating two birdies and two bogeys over his final four holes, said: "I was very happy to hit a six iron at the last to six inches, and just tap it in and walk away. I'm happy with four under. I think any time you shoot under par around this golf course, you're doing well. I think four under is a fantastic start. It puts me in great stead for the next three days."
Allenby has not won on the US PGA Tour since 2001 but the Australian enjoyed nine top-10 finishes in 2008, his best yet on the American circuit.
The 37-year-old Australian, 17 years a pro, is still in mourning for his mother, Sylvia, 71, who died of cancer fewer than six weeks ago.
"It would definitely mean a great deal to me (to win) after losing my mom a month ago," said Allenby who spent the latter part of 2008 desperately trying to win a tournament as a final tribute to his mother.
There was the heartbreaking scene at the Australian Masters last November when he broke down with his emotions on the golf course, all in front of a supportive and saddened gallery.
Allenby went to the par-3 15th hole just one shot out of the lead. He knew the plan was for family members to take his mom onto the course in a golf cart late in the round so she could watch the finish. He realised this might be the final time she would have the strength to watch him play in person.
Standing on the 15th tee, Allenby saw his mom arrive, not knowing how much it would impact his game. He says he hit a "fat" 6-iron into a bunker, blasted that shot over the green into another bunker and took two more tries before he got the ball on the green. He somehow made a 25-footer for a double bogey that ended his chances of winning.
Allenby readily admits he lost his composure -- and then he lost it. The weight of the moment caused tears to roll down Allenby's face as he crouched on the 15th green.
"I just let everything get to me," said Allenby, who eventually finished third. "I had that tournament right in the bag and I let that one go. I knew that was probably the last tournament my mom would see me play. But when I walked off the next tee after hitting it straight down the middle of the fairway, I walked to where my mom was, gave her a hug, and she said to me, 'It doesn't matter what you do, just do your best. And whether it's good or bad, all you can do is your best.'"
"I tried so hard to try to win for her while she was alive, and just forced it a little bit," said Allenby.
Garcia is looking to rebound from a stunning first-round exit in last week's WGC-Accenture Match Play. The world No 2 reeled off four birdies on his opening nine holes but could only manage eight pars and a bogey on the back nine.
Unlike Garcia, Cink is looking to build on an impressive showing at the Match Play in which he finished third. The American was flawless on the front nine with four birdies but bogeyed the 14th and 16th before sinking a birdie on the par-5 18th hole to grab a temporary share of the lead.
Also at three-under are Charlie Wi, Jeff Overton, Angel Cabrera and Will MacKenzie.
Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke both had level par 70s.
McIlroy became a victim of Jack Nicklaus's famous "Bear Trap". The 19-year-old was two under par and only two strokes behind leader Allenby when he ran up a triple bogey 6 on the short 17th at the Nicklaus-designed Champion Course.
McIlroy's tee shot kicked off a bank and was lucky to stay just out of the lake by the green. But, after putting his waterproofs on, his second shot failed to make it up and rolled back into the water. He was still able to play it, but his next attempt flew into a bunker on the other side and by failing to get up and down from there he fell to one over par.
However, McIlroy was on in two with two fine shots at the 604-yard last and two-putted for a birdie 4 and a 70.
Glasgow's Martin Laird, who has made only one cut this year, is on the 73 mark alongside Justin Rose and Ernie Els.
If you look down the scoreboard far enough you will find former Open champion, David Duval, the man who lost the secret of playing good golf and has never found it again.

FIRST ROUND SCORES (incomplete)
Par 70. Darkness caused the first day's play to be suspended with some players still on the course.
66 Robert Allenby (Aus)
67 Will MacKenzie, Charlie Wi (Kor), Sergio Garcia (Spa), Jeff Overton, Stewart Cink, Angel Cabrera (Arg)
68 Y E Yang (Kor), Kent Jones, Chris Riley, David Mathis
69 Chris Stroud, John Merrick, John Senden (Aus), Billy Mayfair, Heath Slocum, John Mallinger, Brian Bateman, D A Points, Jeff Klauk, Steve Marino, John Rollins, Michael Allen, Nathan Green (Aus), Nicholas Thompson
70 Michael Letzig, Brad Adamonis, Bart Bryant, Woody Austin, Darren Clarke (NIrl), James Nitties (Aus), Kevin Streelman, Ben Crane, Rory McIlroy (NIrl), Bob Estes, Jeff Maggert, Justin Leonard, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Shaun Micheel, Brandt Jobe
71 Jerry Kelly, Lucas Glover, Joe Ogilvie, David Berganio Jnr., Matt Kuchar, Alex Cejka (Ger), Tim Wilkinson (Nzl), Tadd Fujikawa, J J Henry, George McNeill, Paul Goydos, Brett Quigley, Johnson Wagner, Jonathan Byrd, Shingo Katayama (Jpn)
72 Spencer Levin, Bill Lunde, Robert Garrigus, Brian Gay, Gary Woodland, Harrison Frazar, Todd Hamilton, Greg Owen (Eng), Boo Weekley, Briny Baird, Brendon De Jonge, Scott McCarron, Tim Herron, Chris DiMarco, Steve Lowery, Jason Dufner, Scott Piercy, Cliff Kresge, J.B. Holmes, Fredrik Jacobson (Swe), John Huston, Carl Pettersson (Swe)
73 Aron Price (Aus), Nick O'Hern (Aus), Tommy Armour III, Derek Fathauer, Justin Rose (Eng), Marc Leishman (Aus), Ernie Els (Rsa), Ryan Palmer, Martin Laird (Sco), Eric Axley, Davis Love III, Greg Chalmers (Aus), Richard S Johnson (Swe), Andres Romero (Arg), Olin Browne, Camilo Villegas (Col), Scott Verplank, Rocco Mediate
74 Brian Davis (Eng), Jonathan Kaye, Ted Purdy, Alan Morin, Greg Kraft, Matt Bettencourt, Peter Lonard (Aus), Mark Calcavecchia, Jimmy Walker, Ken Duke, Marc Turnesa, Stuart Appleby (Aus)
75 Brad Faxon, Steve Flesch, Jose Coceres (Arg), Jay Williamson, Troy Matteson, Mark Wilson, James Oh (Kor)
76 Robert Gamez, Peter Tomasulo, Ricky Barnes, Billy Andrade, Chris Couch, Chez Reavie
77 Brian Vranesh, Bill Haas, Tim Petrovic, Scott Gutschewski, Tom Pernice Jnr., Ryan Moore, Jason Bohn
78 Glen Day, Matt Weibring
79 Vaughn Taylor, Brandt Snedeker
81 Sal Spallone
82 David Duval
89 Mathias Gronberg (Swe)

Michael Sim shoots six-under-par 66 in Round 2

Angry Paddison shares lead at halfway

in New Zealand PGA Championship

New Zealand left-hander Gareth Paddison got very angry with himself as early at the opening hole in his second round at the New Zealand PGA Championship at Clearwater today, and he used it to his advantage en route to a four-under-par 68.
That lifted him to nine-under 135 at the midway point of the NZ$1.2 million tournament, good enough to earn him a share of the lead alongside alongside American journeyman Josh Teater and Australian Kurt Barnes.
Barnes, the first-round leader, double-bogeyed his 17th hole in a round of 71 while Teater matched Paddison by composing rounds of 67 and 68.
Australian veteran Peter O'Malley, who has won twice on this course, shot 67 to be tied for fourth place on 136 with American Steve Friesen, who matched that effort.
Seven players were bunched one shot back in a tie for sixth, including New Zealand's Josh Geary, who produced the day's equal best round of 65, featuring a chip-in at the last for his seventh birdie.
Geary shares floor space with Americans David Branshaw, Craig Bowden, and Kevin Johnson, plus Aberdeen-born Michael Sim and Australians Michael Wright and Matthew Griffin.
Sim, for whom the third round is usually the critical one in a tournament - he lost a lot of ground on Day 3 in the Moonah Classic, had a sparkling six-under-par round of 66.
He birdied the second, fourth, fifth and sixth reaching the turn in a flawless, four-under-par 32, got to five under with a birdie at the 12th before dropping his only shot of the round at the 13th. But Sim finished on a high with birdies at the 15th and 17th.
New Zealand amateur star Danny Lee ensured his presence this weekend when a fine 67 promoted him from 51st equal to 13th equal on 138 with 11 others, among them compatriot Richard Lee, who shot his second successive 69.
In all, seven of 19 New Zealanders survived the cut line of three-under 141, including Brad Shilton, Steve Alker and David Smail, all tied for 25th on 139 after rounds of 69, 70 and 71 respectively.
Among those booking out of their hotels are Mahal Pearce, Phil Tataurangi, Grant Waite and Michael Long.
But the best of the locals was clearly Paddison.
After squandering two shots with a double bogey at the last hole yesterday when he posted 67, the last thing Paddison expected this morning was to drop another stroke on his opening hole, the par-five 10th.
But shell one he did, after chopping it up the fairway, leaving the Wellingtonian more than a little annoyed with himself.
"Sometimes when I get angry it fires me up," the 28-year-old European Challenge Tour regular said.
"Today after what happened on the 10th I was absolutely seething mad. I was furious with myself."
It certainly sparked Paddison into action as he reeled off four birdies by the turn before adding another on his 10th hole to steal the outright lead at nine-under.
Crisp iron play had left him with a series of five to six-feet putts for birdie, which he gratefully accepted before the well ran dry on his back nine.
He left one shot out there on the eighth when he inexplicably missed another birdie offering from less than three feet after airmailing an eight iron 130m from a fairway bunker.
"That felt more like a bogey than a par," he admitted, blaming the miss on a misread rather than a poor strike of the ball.
It also meant it was imperative for his state of mind that Paddison at least par his last, the par-three ninth, which he managed after chipping from the fringe and draining a five-foot comeback putt.
"I was really solid today and incredibly steady after what happening at my first hole."
Teater, 29, has played out of his skin in just his fourth start in a Nationwide Tour event.
Having scraped out a living on the Hooters and Tarheel tours, he is in his rookie term on the second tier circuit in the US, but looked anything but pedestrian when starting today with three successive birdies.
He was modesty personified afterwards.
"I'm sure the guys I played practice rounds with are probably wondering what's going on with my game," Teater said.
"I didn't play that good but I just believed in myself and knew that I could do it.
"I think I'm back to hitting it well, which I wasn't doing earlier in the week."
Barnes, a two-time winner on the Von Nida Tour across the Tasman, had a stumble on his penultimate hole, the eighth, when a three wood off the tee ended up in an unplayable lie in tussock.
His next plugged in a hazard and he two-putted for his double double, remaining philosophical despite the setback.
"I have only hit two bad shots in two days. Today was a grinding day because not too many putts were dropping."
SECOND-ROUND LEADERS
Par 144 (2 x 72)
Players from Australia unless stated
135 G Paddison (NZ) 67 68, J Teater (US) 67 68, K Barnes 64 71.
136 S Frieson (US) 69 67, P O'Malley 69 67.
137 M Sim (Sco) 71 66, D Branshaw (US) 66 71, C Bowden (US) 69 68, K Johnson (US) 70 67, M Griffin 69 68, J Geary (NZ) 72 65, M Wright 71 66.
Selected scores:
138 D Lee (NZ) (amateur) 71 67.
141 G Christian (Eng) 72 69.
+Only players with totals of two-under-par 142 or better qualified for the final two rounds.