Caddie on top of U.S. Senior Open field

LAKE ORION, Mich. — Lance Ten Broeck chooses to carry a bag rather than swing a club for a living to make more money.

If Ten Broeck can keep his lead at the U.S. Senior Open for two more days, though, he will more than double his highest annual income on a golf course.

The full-time caddie for Tim Herron and part-time player shot a 68 Friday, putting him at 6-under 134 and one shot ahead of first-round leader Tom Kite.

Ten Broeck has a chance to make about $500,000 on Sunday after earning less than half that total in his best year as a caddie and when he made a career-best $146,568 in 1989 as a PGA Tour player.

"Caddying is a lot easier than playing," he said. "That's why you get paid more money to play."

It won't be easy for Ten Broeck to cash in at the Champions Tour's fourth of five majors because he's only a shot ahead of Kite, who has been sensational on his front nines at Indianwood.

Ten Broeck is two strokes in front of a pack of six that includes Tom Lehman, Corey Pavin and Bernhard Langer.

Ten Broeck has a 36-hole lead by himself for the first time in his playing career. The 56-year-old Ten Broeck finished tied for 71st at his only other Champions Tour event this year and estimates he plays about 25 rounds a year.

"I guess that means I'm well rested," he joked.

The USGA set up a relatively short course to be a test for the best 50-and-older golfers in the world by letting the rough grow thick and keeping the tight fairways dry and fast.

The cut line was 4-over 144, sending home Hale Irwin (145) and Kenny Perry (149). Seattle native Fred Couples (140) and Tom Watson (142) made it to the weekend.

Pullman High School graduate Kirk Triplett (69) is tied for 12th at 138.

Notes

• Troy Matteson shot a 3-under-par 68 for a one-stroke lead over Jeff Maggert and Brian Harman after two rounds of the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill. Matteson was at 13-under 129.

Ryan Moore of Puyallup (69) was tied for 31st at 6 under. Kyle Stanley of Gig Harbor (69) was tied for 44th at 5 under.

Olympia's Andres Gonzales was tied for second at 10-under 132, one shot off Morgan Hoffman's lead in the Utah (Sandy) Championship in the web.com (formerly Nationwide) Tour event. Michael Putnam from University Place was tied for fifth at 9 under.

• Phil Mickelson broke out of his slump with an 8-under 64 at the Scottish Open in Inverness, leaving him five shots off the second-round lead shared by Alexander Noren and Francesco Molinari.

• U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson withdrew from next week's British Open as he awaits the birth of his second child.

By The Associated Press