- The Comforts of Home:  Lorena Ochoa and K.J. Choi are under a different sort of spotlight this week, each having been rated the pre-tournament favorite in events played in their home countries – events, it is fair to say, that have been marketed largely around their presence.  Choi is newer to such a role (this being the European Tour’s maiden visit to South Korea) and through the first two rounds of the Ballantine’s Championship, he has been solidly mediocre, carding rounds of 71-69, but trailing 36-hole leader Graeme McDowell by eight strokes.  Of course, even with a light Euro/Asian Tour field, Choi was only a prohibitive favorite, so his performance, while disappointing for the home crowd, can hardly be called a failure.  Ochoa, on the other hand, entered the MasterCard Classic as an overwhelming favorite, partially because of her dominant form two weeks ago in Singapore (where she routed an elite field by 11 shots) but also because most of that tournament’s strongest entries elected not to make the trip to Mexico City.  In this light, her opening-round 76 at the Bosque Real Country Club (which left her tied for 77th, nine shots behind leader Jill McGill) was rather a shocker, not to mention a huge disappointment for tournament organizers.  With 36 holes left to play, against a so-so field, Ochoa certainly isn’t out of it.  But the moral of these stories might be that the pressure of playing at home often makes these “celebrations” pretty rough going.  Just ask Tiger Woods; he doesn’t even enter at Riviera anymore.

- Age Before…:  Longer, tougher courses have a way of singling out the game’s best ball-strikers, so perhaps Graham Marsh’s opening 69 at the AT&T Champions Classic – an event played over the challenging Robert Trent Jones-designed Valencia Country Club – isn’t altogether shocking.  It might be worth noting, however, that Marsh is now 64 years old, a busy golf course architect, and something between a full- and part-time Champions Tour competitor.  Impressive stuff.

- Whatever Happened To?:  ...Ballantine’s second-round leader Graeme McDowell?  It’s not as though the talented 28-year-old Ulsterman has entirely disappeared; on the contrary, he’s a two-time E Tour winner, a 2005 Seve Cup participant and a regular among the top 150 in the Official World Ranking.  But four seasons ago, fresh off a victory in the Italian Open, a course record 62 at St. Andrews (during the Dunhill Links Championship) and a 6th-place finish in the Order of Merit, the former U.S. collegiate player of the Year (2002) seemed destined for great things.  He has since gone winless worldwide and finished 34th, 58th and 37th in the European Order of Merit – which only serves to demonstrate once again just how hard it is to reach (and stay at) the top.  Of course, a victory this week might alter McDowell’s career path considerably...

- Words of Wisdom: “I am striving for consistency this year and trying to give myself as many chances as possible to play at the business end of tournaments.” – Graeme McDowell.

- Words of Wisdom II: From David Feherty, regarding his Thursday bicycling accident, in which he was hit by a passing truck: "He didn't want to hit the car on the left, so he ran over the cyclist on the right.  I don't remember a whole lot about it. There was a lady on the scene quickly, keeping me conscious. The next thing I know, I'm at Baylor Medical Center, the only hospital in the United States that doesn't have The Golf Channel." 

Friday’s Round of the Day

Vijay’s 65 in Orlando?  Lorena’s 76 in Mexico?  Meaghan Francella’s disappointing 82 in the first round of her MasterCard defense?  We’ll go with Graeme McDowell’s 64 in Korea – and not just because I dedicated the last 171 words to him.  Six-birdies, one-eagle and no bogeys equals flawless...and today, that’s good enough for me.

- Overnight UPDATE:  Graeme McDowell appears to be in this to the end, coming within an unfortunate double bogey at the 18th of carding his second straight 64, but still sharing the 54-hole Ballantine’s lead with India’s Jeev Milkha Singh.  The pair are four up on their nearest pursuer (Ireland’s Paul McGinley) so a two-man final-round battle may well be in the offing.