"I told my caddie.

"I told my caddie, 'If I chip this in, I'm going to be embarrassed.'"

CHRIS RILEY, recounting his conversation before chipping in for birdie upon the second hole in a rank on No. 16

HE'S BACK

David Toms sent U Ryder chalice captain Tom Lehman the message he wanted to hear with a second-round 67 After Toms had to withdraw from the U and British explains because of back pain, Lehman had worried about the 2001 PGA champion's effectiveness nearest month in Ireland.

"Last week I felt my game coming around, and the back is getting better and better," said Toms, who underwent physical therapy and received epidurals to help him make up for

"I can practice now, in the way that I'm pretty close to being where I want to be."

It has been quite a last 12 month for Toms, 40 Last September in Pittsburgh, he had to be taken at helicopter to a hospital in the middle of a spherical because of a rapid heartbeat.

"I gues my age is catching up with me" he jok

yellow OLDIES

The couple seniors in the field, Jay Haas and Fr blench combined to shoot 7 beneath par in the second rotund Friday.

Haas, 52 recoiled from an opening 75 with a 68 to make the intersect with a stroke to spare. And blench 50, fashioned his second consecutive 69 to sit sole two shots off the lead.

"The age thing is way overplayed," shrinking panic said. "If you take care of yourself and you're motivated, there's no reason you can't play."

...