Hoch shoots 66, leads FedEx Kinko's Classic by three

"I haven't been healthy since I came out here or I think I would have done better," said Hoch, 51, an 11-time winner on the PGA Tour.

Hoch, the only player in the field without a bogey in the first two days, had an 11-under 133 total on The Hills Country Club course.

Weibring was 8 under after his second straight 68. Hale Irwin (68) and first-round leader Leonard Thompson (73) were 7 under, Loren Roberts (72) and Tom Purtzer (67) followed at 6 under, and Massy Kuramoto (73) was 5 under.

Hoch, three strokes behind Thompson after the first round, birdied four of his first eight holes to take a two-shot lead over Thompson at the turn. Hoch increased his lead with birdies on Nos. 14 and 15.

"The whole key to this course is to hit it in the fairways and that's why I'm here today, because I haven't wasted many good shots," he said.

Hoch said he's still recovering from the effect of major left wrist surgery in late 2005 to repair two severed tendons and clear up scar tissue

After practicing hard earlier in the week but playing poorly in the pro-am, Hoch began the tournament with a new Bobby Grace Putter and a new Titleist ProV1x ball.

"I don't usually change much, but my putter was so terrible," he said. "That's the nicest way I can put it."

Wiebring, who spends much of his time as a course architect when not playing the Champions Tour, had a bogey-free round.

"It was a very challenging day because it was so gusty, but I felt like I hit it good," he said.

Irwin, who won the season-opening MasterCard Championship for his tour-record 45th victory, won the inaugural tournament in 2003,
beating Tom Watson in a playoff.

"As long as I've been playing this game, all I've ever asked for is a chance to win on the last couple of holes and that's what I hope to have," Irwin said.

Defending champion Jay Haas was even par after a 73.