Stewart Avoids Pain, Retains One-Shot Lead : Golf: He stays out of rough because of back problems and shoots a 70. Self-effacing Henke is tied for second at 138.

By MAL FLORENCE

June 15, 1991 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

CHASKA, Minn. —

The intrigue of this year’s U.S. Open includes a veteran player, Payne Stewart, who could withdraw at any time because of back problems, and a young pro, Nolan Henke, who says he doesn’t believe he can win, even though he is only a shot off the lead.

Then there’s the Trojans vs. the Bruin at Hazeltine National Golf Club.

Scott Simpson, a former USC player, and Corey Pavin, who played at UCLA, are tied with Henke, one shot behind Stewart, the leader after 36 holes.

Moreover, another former USC player, Craig Stadler, is only three shots behind Stewart.

Stewart, who is wearing a brace and has had chronic neck and back problems for the past few years, has been a model of consistency for two rounds.

He shot a two-under-par 70 Friday for a 36-hole total of 137, seven under par, and has hit 33 of 36 greens in two days.

More impressive, Stewart, who won the 1989 PGA championship, has had only one bogey.

He said he is sticking to his game plan, which he conceded is basic--ball in the fairway, ball on the green and two putts, at most.

“You have to be strong to get out of the rough, so I’m just avoiding it,” Stewart said. “The rough is not good for the back--or the brain.”

Stewart has a degenerative disk in his lower back and also has been in pain at times because of a herniated disk in his neck.

“Being out for 10 weeks this year really opened my eyes as to what I do for a living,” Stewart said. “I’m very conscious of picking up suitcases or my kids.

“I even kicked my son out of his bed last night because his mattress was a lot firmer than mine.”

Stewart added that he wished he had started an exercise program sooner to alleviate his back and neck problems.

He said he was fortunate to play late in the afternoon Thursday--he finished at 9 p.m. (CDT) and early Friday because he didn’t encounter much wind.

Stewart had three birdies and a bogey on his front nine and then shot par the rest of the way.

Henke, 26, who has been on the tour for three years, acts as if he is waiting for the other shoe to drop.

He shared the first-round lead with Stewart and, with a 71 Friday, is still very much in contention, even though he doesn’t think so.

Asked if he is surprised by his showing and if he believes he is capable of winning the Open, the self-effacing Henke said:

“I’m surprised, and no I can’t. I guess I could win if everybody else broke their leg or something.”

As for his 71 Friday, when it rained in the morning but cleared in the afternoon, Henke said:

“I was hitting it all over the map. I was fortunate to shoot one under today, considering how I hit it.”

Pavin, the tour’s leading money winner this year, had a share of the lead until he reached the par-three 17th hole, where he missed a four-foot putt and took a bogey.

Nonetheless, he shot a five-under 67 for a 36-hole score of 138.

“I was a little tentative yesterday because I hadn’t played in a couple of weeks,” Pavin said. “But I had a little chat with my teacher, Bruce Hamilton, in California, and we straightened out a few things.”

Pavin, 31, who has missed the cut in four of seven previous Opens, said he is not putting any pressure on himself to win his first major tournament.

“My objective is just to play the way I’ve been playing and stay as loose as I can,” Pavin said.

Simpson, 35, who won the 1987 U.S. Open, doesn’t believe that victory gives him any sort of advantage.

He shot a 68 Friday and also lost a share of the lead when he bogeyed the 17th hole.

“You need to hit the ball straight and have an overall game, and there is no premium on distance as opposed to some tournaments,” Simpson said, describing Open conditions.

Simpson also was describing his own steady type of game.

Pavin and Simpson didn’t compete against one another in college and have become close friends.

“We both go to Bible study, our wives get together and we have two boys about the same age,” Simpson said.

“I always thought Corey was underrated when I went down the list of the favorites for the Open.”

Scott Hoch, who shot a 71 Friday and is tied at 140 with Fred Couples (70) and Stadler (69), was even more disdainful of his round than Henke.

“It was the ugliest round I ever shot,” Hoch said.

“I hit the ball as bad as I’ve ever seen a professional hit the ball. No way I should shoot one under. I hit one green on the back side. Well, make that two. On 17 I hit a tree and the ball bounced onto the green.

“If I had been playing with someone doing that, I would have been irritated. So I hit one green and the tree hit one green.”

Stadler was more satisfied with his round.

“I had a lot of makeable birdie putts,” said Stadler, who settled for four birdies and a bogey.

Stadler, the 1982 Masters champion who hasn’t won on the tour since 1984, said his iron shots are now going where he aims them.

Asked about his putting, compared to 1982 when he won four tournaments, Stadler said: “I’m rolling the ball as well, but I’m not reading greens as well.”

Golf Notes

The cut was at 147 and some prominent players didn’t make it, among them Jeff Sluman and Paul Azinger (148), Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Mark O’Meara and Lee Trevino (149), Mike Donald (150) and two-time U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange (151). . . . Greg Norman withdrew after nine holes Friday, saying he had a problem with his left hip. He had shot a 78 Thursday. Ken Green also withdrew but gave no reason for his departure. The 81 he shot Friday might have influenced his decision.

The fourth hole, a par-three of 194 yards, yielded another hole in one. John Inman got an ace Thursday and Fuzzy Zoeller followed suit Friday, using a four-iron. . . . In 1989 at Oak Hill CC in Rochester, N.Y., four players got holes in one during the Open.

Bob Lasken, a former UCLA player who shot an 81 Thursday, had two eagles Friday--and an eight on the par-four 16th hole. The 25-year-old pro from Whittier shot a 74 and missed the cut. . . . Tom Byrum, who had a 68 Thursday and was one shot from the lead, shot an 80 Friday.

There were 33 sub-par scores in the second round, the second-highest total in a U.S. Open. The record is 47, set last year at Medinah Country Club near Chicago.

Scores

LEADERS

Payne Stewart: 67-70--137

Corey Pavin: 71-67--138

Nolan Henke: 67-71--138

Scott Simpson: 70-68--138

Scott Hoch: 69-71--140

Fred Couples: 70-70--140

Craig Stadler: 71-69--140

OTHERS

Ian Woosnam: 73-68--141

Tom Watson: 73-71--144