FOUR SHARE LEAD AFTER TIGER WOODS MISSES CUT

• The Upshot: Aussies overpowering Congressional

  • FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
    By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM
• Oliver Goss is bombing it at Congressional, averaging 323.1 yards per drive during the first two rounds. (Jeff Haynes/Getty Images)

BETHESDA, Maryland -- Earlier this week, Oliver Goss tried to make his way into the clubhouse at Congressional Country Club only to have a security guard turn him away because he didn't have the proper credentials.
Try as he might, the 20-year-old Aussie couldn't convince the authorities he wasn't spectating, he was actually playing in the Quicken Loans National. Maybe now the guard will believe him, though.
After all, on Saturday, Goss will be playing in the final group with another Aussie, Marc Leishman, both owning a share of the lead with the two men in the penultimate group, Patrick Reed and Ricky Barnes. 
Both Goss and Leishman got to 6 under with 66s in the second round. 
"The security guy was like,'Hey, where's your credential,' " Goss recalled. "I said, 'I don't have a credential, but I'm a player and I've got an exemption.' He said, 'Well, I can't let you in.' I was like, 'I'm a player, though.'
"Still wasn't good enough for him, which shows just how good the security is around here. ... I got a credential now so I'm all set."
The security guard could be forgiven for not knowing who Goss was, though.
He left Tennessee after his second year and is playing in just his second US PGA TOUR event as a pro this week after missing the cut last week at the Travelers Championship. 
Shoot, not even Leishman, who is also from Australia, knows Goss very well.
"I haven't had a whole lot to do with him," acknowledged Leishman, who is 10 years his elder. "I spoke to him a little bit last week, actually, at the Travelers. We have a practice round lined up next week at the Greenbrier so I get to spend a bit more time with him there. 
"But who knows, we might have a tee time on the weekend."

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Leishman had just finished his round Friday morning when he uttered those words. Little did he know what a high-profile spot the two Aussies would be in a little more than 24 hours later.
Goss, who did some sightseeing in Washington, D.C., earlier this week and was stunned by the size of the Washington Monument, won an event on the PGA TOUR of Australasia as an amateur two years ago. He was runner-up at last year's U.S. Amateur, too, and survived the cut at the Masters to win low am honours.
This is different, though. Or, is it?
"The main difference is you're playing against the best in the world," Goss said. "The depth is just crazy. Obviously, you're playing for a purse, and honestly, I really don't feel that much different out there. 
"You're still playing the game of golf, and that's all I'm really feeling at the moment." 

 SECOND-ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 142 (2x71)
Players from USA unless stated
136 Marc Leishman (Australia) 70 66, Oliver Goss (Australia) 70 66, Ricky Barnes 67 69, Patrick Reid 68 68
137 Hudson Swafford 69 68, Stuart Appleby (Australia) 70 67
138 Morgan Hoffman 70 68, Freddie Jacobson (sweden) 67 71, Billy Horschel 70 68, George McNeill 69 69.
139 Justin Rose (England) 74 65, Brendon de jonge (Zimbabwe) 71 68  (T11)

SELECTED SCORES
140 Russell Knox (Scotland) 73 67 (T13)
145 Brian Davis (England) 72 73 (T67)

MISSED THE CUT (145 and better qualified)
146 Jason Day (Australia) 73 73

147 Martin Laird (Scotland) 75 72 (T86)
149 Ernie Els (S Africa) 73 76, Tiger Woods 74 75 (T104). 


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