Lawrence, Faulkner and Karr tied for lead midway through Senior PNC

It is not a stretch to say that Mike Lawrence of Easley, S.C., enjoys his trips to Southern California's Coachella Valley. Some of his best competitive golf has been played in the region. Twenty years ago, Lawrence tied for fourth in the PGA Professional National Championship six miles away at Mission Hills Country Club's Old Course [now the Dinah Shore Tournament Course] in Rancho Mirage, Calif. On Friday, the 55-year-old PGA Life Member turned back the clock by posting a 5-under-par 67 at Toscana Country Club in Indian Wells for a share of the second-round lead in the 22nd Senior PGA Professional National Championship. Lawrence was joined at the top of the 264-player field at 8-under-par 136 by Mark Faulkner of Carterville, Ill., 50, who had a 69 in his Championship debut on the 6,978-yard Jack Nicklaus Signature South Course and Jim Karr of Palm Beach, Fla., who fired a 67. Lawrence, Faulkner and Karr are chased by PGA Life Member James Blair of Ogden Utah, a first-round co-leader, and two-time Senior PGA Professional National Champion Ed Sabo of Tequesta, Fla., who are two strokes back. Defending Champion Bill Britton of Rumson, N.J., led a group of five players at 139. Seventy-three players survived the 36-hole cut of even-par 144, and will play the final two rounds Saturday and Sunday at Toscana Country Club. Beginning play on the 10th hole, Lawrence collected seven birdies and took 29 putts while following a prescription for success on any Nicklaus-designed layout: course management. "I just putted better than I did yesterday and did not put myself into trouble," said Lawrence, who tied for 28th in 2008, when the Championship first visited Toscana Country Club. "This is an awesome place, and I really enjoy the chance to play out here." Faulkner, a 50-year-old PGA head professional at Lake of Egypt Country Club in Marion, Ill., warmed up for his Championship debut by winning the Gateway PGA Section title two weeks ago. At Toscana, Faulkner made three of his five birdies on the front nine to offset bogeys on the 14 and 17th holes. "We expected it be longer and tougher here," said Faulkner, who breezed through Thursday with a 67 at Rancho La Quinta's 6,790-yard layout. "It played faster today than it did in a practice round. I had it at 5-under until 14, where I hit a driver into a fairway bunker. That was a dumb move; should have hit 3-wood. And, at 17, I hit the wrong club on the par-3, putting the ball on the back of the green and two-putting. Other than that, it was a good day." Karr, a 50-year-old left-handed PGA teaching professional at Palm Beach (Fla.) Country Club, played in the last group of the day at Toscana, and turned in a 67. "We enjoyed perfect weather, with nobody in front of us, nobody in back of us, and the least amount of adversity you could have," said Karr, who warmed up with a hole-in-one during a practice round at Toscana. "I hit some good wedges today and had five birdies and no bogeys and I could not ask for more. This is just my second visit ever to the Palm Springs area. You might call me a late-bloomer." Blair, 55, is making his fourth Championship appearance and tied for 15th here in 2008. He overcame a slow start Friday with two back-nine birdies. "This is a long course for me, but I hung in there," said Blair. "It's tough for me to be playing well that early [7:48 a.m.] in the morning. I need time to warm up, and hope for the ball to fly a bit more. Hitting it 250 to 260 yards doesn't give me an advantage here." Cliff Bailey of Destin, Fla., turned in the lowest round of the Championship, a six-birdie, bogey-free 66 at Rancho La Quinta. The Nicklaus Signature South Course cooled off Friday after yielding a brutal 76.11 opening-round scoring average -- nearly three strokes higher than Rancho La Quinta's Robert Trent Jones Jr. Course. Under docile second-round conditions, Toscana averaged 74.36 to Rancho La Quinta's 73.63. The Senior PGA Professional National Championship showcases PGA Professionals that are at least 50 years of age, as of the Championship, who have qualified through one of the 41 PGA Sections. The low 35 finishers in the 22nd Senior PGA Professional National Championship will qualify for the 2011 Senior PGA Championship, May 25-29, at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. The top eight finishers, including ties, will receive exemptions into the 2011 Senior PGA Professional National Championship. In addition, the top five finishers will be exempt into the Champions Tour National Qualifying Finals at TPC Eagle Trace, provided they have submitted an entry by the entry deadline.