Jerry Kelly Leads Zurich New Orleans After Two Rounds

Jerry Kelly followed a Thursday afternoon 68 with a Friday morning 66 to take a one stroke lead in the 2009 Zurich New Orleans golf tournament. Tied in second place are Troy Matteson who fired a tournament best 64 and Charley Hoffman who matched Kelly’s Friday 66.

Kelly posted his only two PGA TOUR victories seven years ago in 2002. This year he has two Top 10s both in opposite WGC events, in Mexico and Puerto Rico. He is a long way from last week’s Verizon Heritage Classic where he dislocated a rib and then got the flu bug.

“It's a different week. You feel different, and that's the way it is," Kelly said. "[The] guys in the trailer did a great job on me. I didn't have to medicate myself.”

The 42-year old golfer, one of the “Wisconsin Boys” on tour along with Steve Stricker, feels pretty good about his start.

“I'm coming off just a bad few years it seems like. It never seemed to really fall together," Kelly said. "And I'd get an injury, I'd get sick. Getting on old, it's tough. I haven't really had that kind of comfortable factor. It was just really comfortable out there the last couple of days. Things are coming together, it's gelling.”

Troy Matteson the 29 year-old Georgia Tech golfer who won the 2006 Frys.com Open had a spectacular course record tying round of 8-under, a 64. It included seven birdies, one bogey and an eagle on the par-5 seventh hole.

“I hadn't had that many birdies and eagles all year if you add it all together. So it's good to get a little round like that," Matteson said about his round.

Matteson has missed five of ten cuts this year and his best finish is T19 at the Transitions Championship. He finished 89th on the Money List last year his worse finish in the last three years. Looking ahead to “moving day” on Saturday and the Sunday finishing round he knows “if you can shoot five or more [under par], you're going to make a move. A good, solid round is usually three [under par]." With a 71-64 start it will be interesting to see what the weekend brings for the golfer who followed Bryce molder, David Duval and Matt Kuchar at Georgia Tech.

Charley Hoffman won the 2007 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and has been knocking on the door again this year. He lost in a playoff to Kenny Perry at the FBR Open and finished T7 the following week at the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines. “Last year I didn't have any opportunities to win. It was frustrating because I didn't play good golf. But this year, playing good golf, giving myself chances, and certainly the door will open.”

Hoffman played his first two rounds with Louisiana native and 2001 PGA and Zurich Champion David Toms who shot a pair of 68s and leads a group of five players two strokes behind Kelly. Toms wants to play well and give the hometown fans something to cheer about.

“Every time you hit the green, you want to get up there and try to make the putt and get them going," David said about the event. "So if I can keep it up on the weekend, get some more people out here and get them behind me, I'll have a chance.”

Toms who won the event on a different golf course is feeling good about his game.

“It's a matter of going on out there, hitting the shots and getting the putts to fall. I know I can score on it, so I just need to go out and do it. There will be a lot of guys bunched up after today. A lot of guys will have a chance this weekend," Toms said.

Tied with Toms in fourth place is Charles Wi who led after an opening 66 on Thursday morning. By the time he teed it up Friday afternoon he had to make four front nine birdies before tying Kelly at 10-under par. Unfortunately he carded three bogeys in windy and firm course conditions before birdieing No. 18 to get back within two strokes of the lead at day’s end.

Parker MacLachlin, John Merrick and John Rollins join Toms and Wi in a T4 position two strokes back of Kelly.

Masters runner-up Kenny Perry was only two strokes out of the lead at 8-under par with two holes to play. He finished, bogey, double-bogey, for a 2-under par 70 and is five strokes back of Kelly. He ended the day at the par-3 9th hole, where his tee shot found water and he was unable to get it up-and-down for bogey.

Notable golfers to miss the cut which came at 1-under par include: defending champion Andres Romero who was disqualified for signing and incorrect scorecard, 2003 Masters Champion Mike Weir, Bubba Watson who finished 30th in 2008 FedEx Cup points and played in his first Tour Championship, yet to win in the U.S. Englishman Justin Rose, Ryder Cup Champion J.B. Holmes, 2006 PLAYERS Champion Stephen Ames and U.S. Amateur Champion Danny Lee playing in his first event as a professional golfer.

Lee who’s playing in the Quail Hollow Championship next week and then in the HP Byron Nelson Championship in four weeks kept things in a positive yet improvement-based perspective. “It's not really hard out there. I just played really awfully. I pulled my irons and hit some balls in the water. I think I've got to learn more about course management and how to control my schedule before I tee off. Try not to get burned out before I play. Hopefully, I've learned something, and there's always next week.”

Tomorrow is “moving day” at the Pete Dye designed TPC Louisiana golf course for the remaining 72 golfers in the field.

Andy Reistetter is a freelance golf writer. He follows the PGA TOUR volunteering for the tournaments and working part time for NBC Sports, CBS Sports, and The Golf Channel. He resides in Jacksonville Beach, Florida near the PGA TOUR headquarters and home of The PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. He enjoys pursuing his passion for the game of golf and everything associated with it. He can be reached through his website www.MrHickoryGolf.net or by e-mailing him to [e-mail]