Nicklaus makes move at Masters

Friday, April 7th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) -- David Duval, looking for his first major championship on a course where he came close the last two years, took advantage of a softer Augusta National today for a 7-under 65 and the midway lead in the Masters.

Duval shot a 30 on the back nine to get to 6 under, and a one-shot lead over Vijay Singh, Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson, who still had one more hole to play.

On a day when Jack Nicklaus tantalized his fans by moving into contention, Duval played bogey-free golf and was at 138 after two rounds. Mickelson was tied briefly, but bogeyed the par-3 16th after a poor chip to drop back.

Nicklaus drew the roars from the crowd that was thrilled to see him on the leader board, but near the end of play he was six shots back of the pace set by Duval.

It was the best round ever in a major for Duval, who hasn't won in more than a year but has geared his season around the four tournaments in the hopes of winning his first.

"I've devoted a lot of time the last six months to this week," Duval said. "I feel like everything is coming together."

Duval, who was in the lead on the back nine two years ago and in contention last year, made a 10-footer for birdie on the 18th hole to cap his round.

Duval started the day 1 over and was even par when he birdied the par-3 12th. He followed it with another birdie two holes later, then eagled the par-5 15th.

Duval added a birdie at No. 17, and finished with a flourish with the birdie 3 on 18.

"It was a very good day for me," Duval said.

Tiger Woods, who had an opening 75, bogeyed the first two holes on the back nine and was 1 under for the day through 10 holes, but 2 over for the tournament.

Nicklaus shot a 33 on the front nine and at one point was only two shots off the lead. But the 60-year-old bogeyed the 18th hole to finish with a 70 that left him at even par.

Playing in a nostalgic pairing with Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, the six-time Masters champion showed he can still play the course where he last won in 1986 at 46.

"I believe in myself when I play here," Nicklaus said.

He birdied the fourth hole, and added birdies on Nos. 7 and 9 tog et under par.

The birdie on nine came on a long curling downhiller that had Nicklaus gesturing to the crowd after it dropped.

"It gives us all hope," said Bernhard Langer, who was in at 2-under 142. "It's wonderful."

Garcia, who was 6 years old when Nicklaus last won in Augusta, had a later tee time and started quickly, with back-to-back birdies.

Tom Lehman, meanwhile, made a double bogey on the par-5 15th,his only mistake of the day, to shoot a 72 that left him at 3-under 141. It was reminiscent of Lehman's first round, where he was 5 under through 17 before making a double bogey on the last hole.

"Everybody is going to have a bad hole here and there," Lehman said. "I take those double bogeys with a grain of salt."

A mild day with little wind brought scores down, as did greens that didn't seem as slick as the first day.

"They put more water on the greens today," said Bob Estes, who was at 143. "They were just a little softer, but don't get me wrong, they were still very fast."

First-round leader Dennis Paulson found trouble from his first tee shot and finished with a 76 that left him at par for the tournament.

Paulson, a Masters rookie, hit his first shot into a fairwa bunker and made a bogey. Things didn't get much better on the second hole, when he had to hit his second shot left-handed after a drive into the woods and he made another bogey.

"If you would have told me I'd be even par after two rounds I'd be happy," Paulson said.

Lehman, who didn't make a mistake until he hit it in the woods and made double bogey on No. 18 on Thursday, parred the first six holes and made birdie on the seventh. He added another birdie with an iron shot that finished an inch from the hole on No. 11, which played the toughest of any hole in the first round.

But Lehman gave his lead away on No. 15 when, after laying up with his second shot, he backed a sand wedge into the water.

On Thursday, Paulson found out quickly that Augusta National had no patience for the weak or timid. Lehman had known it a long time.

Not that Augusta National wasn't a scary enough place in Thursday's opening round.

If all the tinkering done to the course wasn't enough to make things tough in the first round, the people who run the Masters got some help from gusty, swirling winds that left the field beaten and battered.

Paulson emerged as the leader in his Masters debut with a 68,the first time he played the course for real.

But the weirdness didn't stop there. Woods had a 75 and was behind two 60-something players, while a number of players who used to win at Augusta couldn't even break 80.

"Every shot was scary," said three-time champion Nick Faldo, who gingerly played his way to a 72.

It didn't seem too scary for Paulson, who needed eight tries to get his PGA Tour card and whose claim to fame at 37 is a Nike Tour title and a long driving contest championship from 15 years ago.

At least not until No. 11, when he tried to hit a 5-iron 188 yards into a howling wind to a pin just over the water. For a moment, Paulson blinked and Augusta National got him.

"It's the scariest shot I ever attempted to hit," said Paulson, who put it in the water and made double bogey.

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By TIM DAHLBERGAP Sports Writer