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January 27, 2001

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Calcavecchia fires a 60, Woods's streak ends

Not even a one-hour frost delay could cool down Mark Calcavecchia, who tied a course record 11-under-par 60 Friday to take a five-stroke lead at the Phoenix Open, while Tiger Woods saw his scoring streak snapped.

Calcavecchia set a two-day tournament record with a 17-under-par total of 125 that gave him a five-shot advantage over fellow-American Scott Verplank after the second round at the TPC of Scottsdale.

Woods, who began the round one stroke off the pace, struggled to a two-over-par 73 -- his first over-par score in 52 rounds -- to plunge into a tie for 35th, 13 strokes behind Calcavecchia.

The under-par streak for Woods had dated back to last May's Byron Nelson Invitational.

"Unfortunately it ended because I just didn't make the putts I wanted to make," said world number one Woods, who hit the practice range immediately after his round to work on his game.

It appeared that Calcavecchia, who began his round Friday on the 10th hole, had every angle of his game covered and could have joined the elusive 59-club had a couple more putts fallen.

"I didn't think about it until my 16th hole and I added it up and I knew I had a chance to shoot it," Calcavecchia said. "I just thought I should aim at the hole."

Calcavecchia is certainly not shy about playing aggressively and at 10-under with two holes to play he had to birdie the last two holes to break 60.

On the eighth hole he hit a 5-iron to within 20 feet, but his putt slid by the hole on the left. He did finish with a 20-foot birdie at the ninth.

"Most of the time I am pretty anxious to get off the course," Calcavecchia said. "Today I wanted to keep going. I just wanted to run over to the 10th tee and join somebody, get my third round going."

Twelve groups of players were unable to finish their second rounds because of the frost delay. Thirty-six golfers will have to finish their rounds before Saturday's scheduled third round with the cut roughly projected at two under par.

Woods, who on Thursday was disrupted by an orange thrown onto the ninth green as he was preparing to putt, said he was far more concerned about his game than the gallery at the tournament, which draws some 100,000 spectators each day.

"I was pretty much walking with my head down, trying to figure everything out," said Woods, who did not notice any particularly rowdy behaviour.

The introspection continued after his round. As soon as he signed his scorecard Woods headed straight for the practice range to work with coach Butch Harmon.

Woods went from the range to the sand to the putting green and spent nearly three hours working on his game.

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