MARTIN LAIRD IN JOINT 12TH PLACE
JONES AND WATSON SHARE HALFWAY
LEAD IN PHOENIX OPEN
Bubba Watson has just bogeyed the final hole - and his expression shows it. Picture by courtesy of
Getty Images(c)
FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona -- Bubba Watson and Matt Jones shared the lead at the halfway mark of the Waste Management Phoenix Open while Phil Mickelson overcame a back injury to make the cut.
A week after withdrawing from Torrey Pines because of back pain, Mickelson shot a 4-under 67 in his afternoon round at cool and breezy TPC Scottsdale. The defending champion is eight strokes behind Watson and Jones.
"I'm not totally out of it," Mickelson said. "I'd like to be closer, but as we have seen in the past, there are eight, nine, 10 under and in some cases 11-under par rounds out there."
That will mean an early departure for Padraig Harrington and Lee Westwood, both of whom are on 142.
The Irishman had scores of 73-69, the Englishman 67-75.
Other notables who won't be playing at the weekend included South African Retief Goosen (72-71 for 143), Ian Poulter (69-75 for 144) and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano of Spain (78-74) for 152.
SECOND-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 142 (2x71) Players from USA unless stated130 Matt Jones (Australia) 65 65, Bubba Watson 64 66
132 Greg Chalmers (Australia) 65 67, Harris English 65 67.
133 Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) 66 67, Pat Perez 65 68, Kevin Stadler 65 68.
SELECTED SCORES
135 Martin Laird (Scotland) 67 68 (T12)
137 Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium) 69 68 (T15)
138 David Lynn (England) 72 66, Phil Mickelson 71 67 (T27)
140 Martin Kaymer (Germany) 69 71 (T48)
141 Brian Davis (England) 72 69 (T62)
PROJECTED CUT (141 and better to qualify)
142 Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 73 69, Lee Westwood (England) 67 75.
143 Retief Goosen (S Africa) 72 71
144 Ian Poulter (England) 69 75
152 Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spain) 78 74.
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
CLICK HERE
LEAD IN PHOENIX OPEN
Getty Images(c)
FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona -- Bubba Watson and Matt Jones shared the lead at the halfway mark of the Waste Management Phoenix Open while Phil Mickelson overcame a back injury to make the cut.
A week after withdrawing from Torrey Pines because of back pain, Mickelson shot a 4-under 67 in his afternoon round at cool and breezy TPC Scottsdale. The defending champion is eight strokes behind Watson and Jones.
"I'm not totally out of it," Mickelson said. "I'd like to be closer, but as we have seen in the past, there are eight, nine, 10 under and in some cases 11-under par rounds out there."
Indeed, the three-time champion has shot 11-under 60 twice in the
event, in the second round in his 2005 victory and last year in the
first round.
Watson, the long-hitting left-hander who won the 2012 Masters, followed his opening 64 with a 66 to reach 12 under.
Jones, the Australian who counts as something of a local, having played at Arizona State University and who lives in Scottsdale, had his second straight 65.
"It's right where I want to be going into the weekend," Watson said.
Harris English and Greg Chalmers shot 67 to reach 10 under, and Pat Perez, Kevin Stadler and Hideki Matsuyama were 9 under. Matsuyama had a 67, and Perez and Stadler shot 68.
Scotland's Martin Laird is in T12 positon after rounds of 67 and 68 for 135. He had birdies at the first, short fourth, fifth, long 13th and long 15th in halves of 33-35. His bogeys came at the ninth and short 12th.
Watson could have held the outright lead but made a bogey on his final hole after his wedge approach spun off the green.
"I had two sloppy bogeys coming down the stretch, but I will take it," Watson said.
Despite the cooler weather, the tournament set an attendance record for the third straight day with an estimated crowd of 123,674. Since Monday, an estimated 313,054 people have attended the event. The seven-day record of 538,356 was set in 2008.
Jones birdied four of his last six holes. Though he is a regular at the course, but does not consider that an advantage.
"The golf course is so different tournament week than it is when you play out here regularly," Jones said.
"It's a lot harder, a lot faster. The greens are a lot quicker. The pins are a lot more tucked out here. So, it's like a new golf course when you come here for a tournament."
Brandt Snedeker had the best round of the day, a 64 in the morning to reach 8 under.
"My putting, plain and simple," Snedeker said. "I hit the ball extra good yesterday and had some of the worst putting I had all year. Today, I kind of did the opposite."
La Quinta winner Patrick Reed also was 8 under after his second 67. Playing alongside Watson, Reed hit to a foot for a birdie on the par-3 16th stadium hole.
Keegan Bradley followed his opening 66 with an 80, The score was the second-worst of his US PGA Tour career, following an 82 last year in the Masters. He made a triple-bogey 8 on No. 3 and had eight bogeys and two birdies.
Watson, the long-hitting left-hander who won the 2012 Masters, followed his opening 64 with a 66 to reach 12 under.
Jones, the Australian who counts as something of a local, having played at Arizona State University and who lives in Scottsdale, had his second straight 65.
"It's right where I want to be going into the weekend," Watson said.
Harris English and Greg Chalmers shot 67 to reach 10 under, and Pat Perez, Kevin Stadler and Hideki Matsuyama were 9 under. Matsuyama had a 67, and Perez and Stadler shot 68.
Scotland's Martin Laird is in T12 positon after rounds of 67 and 68 for 135. He had birdies at the first, short fourth, fifth, long 13th and long 15th in halves of 33-35. His bogeys came at the ninth and short 12th.
Watson could have held the outright lead but made a bogey on his final hole after his wedge approach spun off the green.
"I had two sloppy bogeys coming down the stretch, but I will take it," Watson said.
Despite the cooler weather, the tournament set an attendance record for the third straight day with an estimated crowd of 123,674. Since Monday, an estimated 313,054 people have attended the event. The seven-day record of 538,356 was set in 2008.
Jones birdied four of his last six holes. Though he is a regular at the course, but does not consider that an advantage.
"The golf course is so different tournament week than it is when you play out here regularly," Jones said.
"It's a lot harder, a lot faster. The greens are a lot quicker. The pins are a lot more tucked out here. So, it's like a new golf course when you come here for a tournament."
Brandt Snedeker had the best round of the day, a 64 in the morning to reach 8 under.
"My putting, plain and simple," Snedeker said. "I hit the ball extra good yesterday and had some of the worst putting I had all year. Today, I kind of did the opposite."
La Quinta winner Patrick Reed also was 8 under after his second 67. Playing alongside Watson, Reed hit to a foot for a birdie on the par-3 16th stadium hole.
Keegan Bradley followed his opening 66 with an 80, The score was the second-worst of his US PGA Tour career, following an 82 last year in the Masters. He made a triple-bogey 8 on No. 3 and had eight bogeys and two birdies.
The Irishman had scores of 73-69, the Englishman 67-75.
Other notables who won't be playing at the weekend included South African Retief Goosen (72-71 for 143), Ian Poulter (69-75 for 144) and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano of Spain (78-74) for 152.
SECOND-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 142 (2x71) Players from USA unless stated130 Matt Jones (Australia) 65 65, Bubba Watson 64 66
132 Greg Chalmers (Australia) 65 67, Harris English 65 67.
133 Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) 66 67, Pat Perez 65 68, Kevin Stadler 65 68.
SELECTED SCORES
135 Martin Laird (Scotland) 67 68 (T12)
137 Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium) 69 68 (T15)
138 David Lynn (England) 72 66, Phil Mickelson 71 67 (T27)
140 Martin Kaymer (Germany) 69 71 (T48)
141 Brian Davis (England) 72 69 (T62)
PROJECTED CUT (141 and better to qualify)
142 Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 73 69, Lee Westwood (England) 67 75.
143 Retief Goosen (S Africa) 72 71
144 Ian Poulter (England) 69 75
152 Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spain) 78 74.
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
CLICK HERE
Labels: US PGA TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Friday, January 31, 2014
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