Golf: Paulson fading

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Costa Mesa High product Dennis Paulson, who made

headlines after seizing the first-round lead at the 64th Masters

Tournament, shot 4-over-par 76 Friday at Augusta National Golf Club.

Paulson’s round, which began with two bogeys, left him at even par after

two rounds, tied for 18th place with two rounds to play.

David Duval carded a 7-under 65 Friday to take the lead at 6-under (138).

Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els are tied for second at 5-under.

Big Canyon Country Club’s Tiger Woods shot par 72 Friday and begins the

quest for his second Masters green jacket tied for 39th, 10 strokes off

the lead.

Paulson, 37, who grew up playing at the Santa Ana Country Club, recovered

from his shaky start Friday with five straight pars, but finished his

front nine with back-to-back bogeys. He birdied the par-4 11th hole, but

bogeyed the par-3 16th.

Paulson is scheduled to tee off today at 12:40 EST.

Paulson qualified for the PGA Tour in 1994 and ’95 and played on the Nike

Tour in 1997-98.

He finished 37th on last year’s PGA Tour money list. He has now made the

cut seven times in 10 events this season, during which his best finish

was a tie for 18th at the Nisson Open in Los Angeles.

Paulson had seven top-10 finishes in a breakthrough PGA Tour season last

year. He lost a playoff at the Buick Classic to finish second and was

also runner-up at the Bell Canadian Open.

The national long-driving champion in 1985, he considered quitting,

before bouncing back with a stint on the Asian Tour in the early 1990s.

Among those tied with Paulson is six-time Masters champion Jack Nicklaus.

The 60-year-old Nicklaus shot 2-under Friday, becoming the first player

60-and-older to break par in the tournament since Sam Snead shot 71 in

1975.