Saturday, March 15, 2014

ROBERT GARRIGUS'S LEAD SHRINKS FROM FUR TO ON E

 VALSPAR LEADER ONE STEP AWAY

FROM SLOW PLAY PENALTY
FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
PALM HARBOR, Florida – Robert Garrigus walked the 50 yards or so up to the 14th green at Innisbrook, walked back to his ball in the rough and began to assess his situation.
Bad move. Or at least, a bad time.
Already on the clock, the Valspar Championship leader was given a bad-time assessment that put him one step from a penalty stroke.
“The first time in 17 years as a professional that I’ve ever got a bad time on the golf course,” said Garrigus, who saw what once was a four-shot lead shrink to one by the time he completed his 1-under 70 on Saturday.
Playing partner Kevin Na also incurred a bad time on the previous hole, when he spent too long assessing a swirling breeze on the 13th tee. It wasn’t until the final hole that the duo were taken off the clock.
While neither man disputed the bad time, they also suggested they’d become victims of circumstances.
It began when Pat Perez lost his tee shot left of the fairway at No.3, requiring a return to the tee while Garrigus and Na waited. Then while Perez and Justin Rose put things into high gear, Garrigus needed a ruling at No.5.
Two holes later, Garrigus and Na were put on the clock.
“We were basically 10 minutes behind,” Na acknowledged. “Yeah, we were out of position but was that really our fault? No.”
Said Garrigus: “When Pat is playing bad, he takes about four seconds to hit each shot. It’s kind of unfair. … It wasn’t that bad. I’ve played a lot slower in twosomes before.”
Na has carried a reputation as a slowpoke for years, most infamously while paired with Matt Kuchar in THE PLAYERS Championship’s final round in 2010. That was during a period when he struggled to commit to making a swing.
This time, though, Na even got the thumbs-up from the speedy Garrigus. “Kevin has become a lot faster,” he said.
Na’s effort to speed up the pace might have cost him a birdie at the par-3 17th, where he missed a 15-foot try when he wanted another look at his line.
“We weren’t finalising the putt,” he said. “I’m about to back off, and Kenny [Harms, his caddie] goes, ‘You’d better go.’ I kind of peeked out in the fairway and there’s Gary [Young, rules official] on the cart with a little clock. OK, we’ve got to go.”
Garrigus goes into Sunday's final round with scores of 69-66-70 for 205 - a shot ahead of Na (70-68-68).
US Open champion Justin Rose is three off the pace after rounds of 71, 68 and 69 for 208.
Scot Russell Knox is joint 24th on 213 (70-73-70)

THIRD ROUND 
Par 213 (3x71) Players from USA unless stated
205 Robert Garrigus 69 66 70
206 Kevin Na 70 68 68
207 John Senden (Australia) 72 71 64
208 Justin Rose (England) 71 68 6 9
209 Retief Goosen (S Africa) 72 73 64, Charley Hoffmann 70 72 67, Scott Langley 71 69 69
210 Luke Donald (England) 71 72 67, Jason Kokrak 74 68 68
211 George McNeill 73 71 67, Ted Potter jun 73 71 67, Will MacKenize 73 70 68, James Driscoll 73 70 68, Freddie Jacobson (Sweden) 70 71 70, David Hearn (Canada) 71 70 70, Jim Furyk 71 69 71.

SELECTED SCORES
212 Jordan Spieth 71 70 71
213 Russell Knox (Scotland) 70 73 70 (T24)
215 Harris English 72 69 74 (T50)
217 Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 75 70 72 (T65)
218 Darren Clarke (N Ireland) 71 74 73, Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium) 69 73 76 (T70)
+players with totals of 219 and worse were eliminated on the third-round cut.

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EUROPEAN TOUR REPORT AND SCORES

CLASSY CANIZARES LEADS BY SIX

WITH A ROUND TO GO IN MOROCCO


REPORT BY EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
Alejandro Cañizares will take a sizeable six-shot lead into the final round of the Trophée Hassan II as he chases a first European Tour title for eight years.
A third round of 69 at Golf du Palais Royal, Agadir on Morocco's breezy Atlantic coastline was enough for Cañizares to extend his overnight lead from one shot to six over playing partner Seve Benson of England, with Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen a further stroke back after his 67, which was the only bogey-free round of the day.
“It was tough today, especially on the front nine the pins were difficult to get close to and some even difficult to two-putt,” said Cañizares, whose only previous European Tour victory came in the Russian Open in 2006 on only his third start.
“It was a good round, I kept it going. I was a little not so sharp off the tee today, my misses were right quite a bit so I have something to work on, but overall I’m happy to shoot a round in the 60s and hopefully tomorrow I will keep it going.”
Asked if he felt the tournament was now his to lose, Cañizares added: “In this game anything can happen. Everybody saw that you can go low on this golf course, I have to keep moving forward and not look over my shoulder.” 
Three-time Challenge Tour champion Benson, who carded a round of 74 to slip back to 11 under par, will now need to make up a six-stroke deficit if he is to secure his maiden European Tour title.
He said: “I struggled really today just to get the ball pin-high. But I was happy with the way I came back with five or six holes to go, so there are positives going into tomorrow. 
“I always know that if I am not playing well that my best golf is just around the corner, so I was just trying to stay patient. Tomorrow is another day and I am still feeling confident.
“The key will be to try to get a couple of shots back on Alejandro on the front nine, because that is the most difficult part of the course.”
Derksen is in third place on ten under par after signing for a flawless round of 67, which was the joint-best-of-the-day.

  THIRD ROUND SCOREBOARD
   Par 216 (3x72)
199 A Cañizares  (Esp) 62 68 69
205 S Benson (Eng) 63 68 74
206 R Derksen (Ned) 69 70 67
208 P Waring  (Eng) 72 69 67, R Karlsson (Swe) 71 67 70, S Kapur (Ind) 70 71 67, M Carlsson  (Swe) 65 71 72, D Horsey (Eng) 72 64 72
209 R Bland (Eng) 69 70 70, M Warren (Sco) 66 73 70, W Ormsby (Aus) 68 71 70
210 J Campillo (Esp) 71 69 70, R Rock (Eng) 71 68 71, R Cabrera-Bello (Esp) 68 67 75
211 T Fleetwood  (Eng) 66 72 73, G Bourdy (Fra) 68 69 74, A Levy (Fra) 70 72 69, R Ramsay  (Sco) 72 71 68, A Sullivan (Eng) 66 73 72
212 R Davies (Wal) 68 73 71, R Green (Aus) 70 73 69, D Drysdale (Sco) 73 67 72, F Fritsch  (Ger) 72 70 70, S Dodd (Wal) 68 73 71, G Coetzee (RSA) 69 69 74, D Willett  (Eng) 72 70 70, C Arendell (USA) 65 71 76, S Kjeldsen (Den) 74 70 68
213 M Siem  (Ger) 69 69 75, N Elvira  (Esp) 70 75 68, J Morrison  (Eng) 69 69 75, J Dantorp (Swe) 73 71 69, M Tullo (Chi) 74 69 70, T Lewis (Eng) 69 74 70, A Saddier (Fra) 72 72 69, L Bjerregaard  (Den) 69 73 71, D Im (USA) 71 73 69
214 B Rumford (Aus) 73 71 70, M Crespi  (Ita) 71 74 69, B Wiesberger  (Aut) 71 73 70, R Fisher (Eng) 70 73 71, T Hatton (Eng) 73 72 69, M Hoey  (Nir) 68 70 76, G Bhullar (Ind) 67 73 74, S Dyson  (Eng) 73 70 71, G Stal  (Fra) 73 71 70, D Brooks (Eng) 72 70 72
215 R Dinwiddie  (Eng) 71 71 73, S Wakefield (Eng) 72 73 70, M Ilonen  (Fin) 69 73 73,
216 J Lara (Esp) 72 73 71, E Goya (Arg) 73 69 74, D Howell (Eng) 72 69 75, G Havret  (Fra) 72 71 73
217 F Calmels  (Fra) 70 74 73, A Kaleka  (Fra) 72 73 72, S Lowry  (Irl) 72 72 73, E Molinari  (Ita) 73 70 74, M Kieffer (Ger) 71 72 74, K Broberg (Swe) 75 70 72
218 R Kakko  (Fin) 70 73 75, S Hansen (Den) 74 69 75
219 D McGrane (Irl) 70 73 76, D Stewart (Sco) 71 74 74
220 E De La Riva  (Esp) 70 74 76, P Sjöland (Swe) 70 74 76, D Huizing (Ned) 74 70 76
221 R Jacquelin (Fra) 71 71 79
222 M Baldwin (Eng) 71 74 77
224 E Dubois (Fra) 68 75 81, P Whiteford (Sco) 67 78 79

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

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US PGA TOUR EARLY THIRD-ROUND NEWS

GOOSEN GOES HOT WITH A 64
 
FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
PALM HARBOR, Florida – About six holes into Saturday’s round, Retief Goosen had to vent a little frustration.
"I just can’t make a putt," he groused to caddie Mark Pittock.
It didn’t take long for his fortunes to change, coaxing home a curling 12-foot birdie at his next hole. Then the floodgates opened.
Goosen drained a 26-footer for birdie at No. 8, followed by a 10-footer at No. 9. Before his day at the Valspar Championship was finished, the South African had seven birdies on the way to a 7-under-par 64.
"I made one at No. 7 and hallelujah! Suddenly it started happening," said Goosen, twice a winner at Innisbrook. "Suddenly the hole was bigger."
The 64 was Goosen’s best since undergoing back surgery after the 2012 season. Though the final groups still were three hours from teeing off, he had gone from surviving the cut on the number to pulling alongside second-place Kevin Na.
Goosen even managed to make hay at the Copperhead course’s daunting "Snake Pit," starting with a chip-in when he came up short of the green at No.16. "That was a big turnaround," he said. "It’s never easy getting up-and-down around that green."
He followed with a 4-iron at the par-3 17th that caught a slope on the green and funnelled down to inside 4 feet for another birdie. Then after coming up well short from a fairway bunker at No. 18, Goosen’s pitch from 70 yards gave him an 8-foot par chance that he converted.
"It’s a golf course you’ll never be comfortable on," he said. "But it seems when I get on the course, I see the shots required that you need to try and hit."
Goosen hadn’t turned in a better scorecard since a 63 during the third round of the 2012 RBC Canadian Open. That was in the midst of chronic back woes, leading him undergo surgery after the US PGA Championship at Kiawah.
He played 11 events in 2013 before being forced to the sideline again by a small fracture in his back

That required four months away, but the two-time U.S. Open champion says he’s been pain-free since.
He tied for eighth at the Sony Open in Hawaii, but came to Innisbrook still looking for consistency.
"I just need to get into a good rhythm and hit good shot after good shot," he said.

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EUROPEAN TOUR REPORT AND SCORES

TOP SCOT MARC WARREN TEN OFF

THE LEAD IN MOROCCO

Marc Warren is the leading Scot, 10 shots behind leader Alejandro Canizares of Spain, with one round to go in the Hassan II Trophy European Tour event at Agadir on Morocco's windy Atlantic coastline.

Warren, pictured, has scored 66, 73 and 70 for joint ninth place on 209, compared with Canizares' scores of 62, 68 and 69 for 17-under 199 to lead by six from England's Seve Benson (63-68-74 for 205)
Aberdeen's Richie Ramsay had his best round of the three - a 68 - following scores of 72 and 71.
He is on five-under 211 and sharing 15th place.
David Drysdale is T20 on 212 (73-67-72) and Highlander Duncan Stewart T63 on 219 (71-74-74).
Peter Whiteford had another bad day. After starting the tournament in fine style with a five-under 67, he had gone 78-79 for 224 and T70. It could be something he has eaten that has put him off colour.
This writer, who has been in Morocco three times, has had stomach troubles each time!
THIRD-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 216 (3x72)
199 Alejandro Canizares (Spain) 62 68 60
205 Seve Benson (England) 63 68 74
206 Robert-Jan Derksen (Holland) 69 70 67
208 Paul Waring (England) 72 69 67, Shiv Kapur (India) 70 71 67, Robert Karlsson (Sweden) 71 67 70, Magnus Carlsson (Sweden) 65 71 72, David Horsey (England) 72 64 72

SCOTS' SCORES
209 Marc Warren 66 73 70 (T9)
211 Richie Ramsay 72 71 68 (T15)
212 David Drysdale 73 67 72 (T20)
219 Duncan Stewart 71 74 74 (T63)
224 Peter Whiteford 67 78 79 (T70)

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FILIPINO QUE LEADS AT SOLAIRE OPEN


  ASIAN TOUR NEWS RELEASE
Canlubang, Manila: Filipino star Angelo Que fired a third round two-under-par 69 to hold a one-shot lead over a persistent Miguel Tabuena at the Solaire Open on Saturday.
Que stayed on track for a fourth Asian Tour title despite missing a 10ft par putt on the last to settle for nine-under-par 204 at the challenging The Country Club, where blustery conditions made life difficult.
Tabuena remained in hot pursuit for a first Asian Tour win by shooting a 70 while Wang Jeung-hun of South Korea, who finished fourth at the 2013 Solaire Open, was a further shot back following a 68 at the US$300,000 Asian Tour event.
S.S.P. Chowrasia of India, who started round three in third position, was blown off course when he returned a 77 to share 23rd place.
Que, a three-time Asian Tour winner but not since 2010, will not take his lead lightly as the talented Tabuena continues to snap at his heels.
“We’ve played together on so many occasions. I just want to have fun out there with him (Tabuena) again. He never gives up. He just keeps on coming. He reminds me of myself when I was young!” said Que, who traded four birdies against two bogeys.
With the finishing line in sight, the bubbly Filipino hopes to win the Solaire Open trophy in front of his pregnant wife, Tracy, and younger daughter, who were cheering for him on the 18th green today.
“Hopefully I can finish this off in the final round. It is going to be a challenging round. It has been windy for the whole week but I’ve been playing solid. I want to keep my game up and finally close the deal again after four years!” said Que.
The excited Tabuena is bracing himself for a challenging final day against a player who he looks up to. The 19-year-old registered two birdies against one bogey to stay in contention.
“I’ve been waiting for the moment to win my first Asian Tour title since I turned professional. Hopefully it happens. I look up to Angelo Que. He is a good friend and very supportive on and off the course. He is a down to earth guy and hopefully I can be as successful as him in the future,” said Tabuena.
Playing in his second year on the Asian Tour, South Korea’s Wang charged up the leaderboard with a flawless round highlighted by a 15-feet birdie on six. Dressed in striking pink pants, Wang, who finished 76th on the Order of Merit last season, believes he has the ‘A Game’ to cause an upset on Sunday.
“I learnt a lot when I played on the Asian Tour last year. I played very badly in 2013 because I was so nervous. This year, I feel more relaxed and I just want to play my best golf. I really want to win this tournament,” said the 18-year-old Wang.
 THIRD-ROUND LEADERBOARD
   Par 213 (3x71) Yardage: 7,206
204 Angelo QUE (PHI) 70-65-69.
205 Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 67-68-70.
206 WANG Jeung-hun (KOR) 71-67-68.
208 Clyde MONDILLA (PHI) 71-70-67, Akinori TANI (JPN) 69-72-67, Chawalit PLAPHOL (THA) 68-72-68, Richard T. LEE (CAN) 68-70-70.
210 Sam CYR (USA) 72-69-69, David LIPSKY (USA) 71-68-71, Simon GRIFFITHS (ENG) 70-69-71, Carlos PIGEM (ESP) 69-70-71, Matthew GRIFFIN (AUS) 68-69-73.
211 Sam BRAZEL (AUS) 66-75-70, Andrew DODT (AUS) 70-71-70, Nicholas CULLEN (AUS) 68-73-70, Siddikur RAHMAN (BAN) 70-70-71, Paul PETERSON (USA) 72-68-71, Bryce EASTON (RSA) 69-68-74.
 

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WENTWORTH PAIR WIN SUNNINGDALE FOURSOMES

Wentworth pair Annabel Dimmock, 17, and tour pro Steve Brown, former Walker Cup player and past English amateur champion, after their victory in Friday's Sunningdale Foursomes final. For a
report on the final, please switch over to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk

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COLIN MONTGOMERIE IN TOP TEN WITH A FOUR-UNDER 67


BERNHARD LANGER LEADS BY TWO ON 

CHAMPIONS TOUR IN CALIFORNIA

 FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
NEWPORT BEACH, California (AP) -- Bernhard Langer birdied three of the last four holes for an 8-under 63 and a two-stroke lead Friday after the first round of the Champions Tour's Toshiba Classic.
Langer, the 2008 winner, had eight birdies in his bogey-free round at Newport Beach Country Club. The 56-year-old Florida-based German won the season-opening event in Hawaii in January for his 19th victory on the 50-and-over tour.
"I played really solid through the whole bag," Langer said. "I hit most of the greens in regulation and I was happy with just about every club in my bag."
Fred Couples, the 2010 Toshiba Classic champion, shot a 65, along with Jeff Hart and Taiwan's Chien Soon Lu.
Couples bogeyed the par-4 16th to drop out of a share of the lead, but matched Langer with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 18th.

Last month in Florida, Langer tied for seventh in Boca Raton and tied for second in Naples. He has broken par in all 10 of his rounds this season and 19 of his last 20.
"What happened with that one round?" Langer joked.
The German topped the first-round leaderboard Friday for the 18th time in his career. In the first 17, he has gone on to win six times.
Kenny Perry, Michael Allen, Kirk Triplett, Duffy Waldorf and Scott Simpson were in a tie for fifth at 5-under 66.
Defending champion David Frost opened with a 72. 
Colin Montgomerie shot a 67 to be sharing 10th place.
England's Roger Chapman is T36 on 70 while Sandy Lyle had a 72 for T61
LEADERBOARD
Par 71 
63 Bernhard Langer (Germany)
65 Chien Soon Lu (Taiwan), Jeff Hart (USA), Fred Couples (USA)

SELECTED SCORES
67 Colin Montgomerie (Scotland) (T10)
70 Roger Chapman (England) (T36)
72 Sandy Lyle (T61)

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WEB.COM TOUR REPORT AND SCORES FROM BRAZIL

ROOKIE CURRAN CALLING THE SHOTS

FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
By Joe Chemycz, Web.com Tour staff
SAO PAULO, Brazil – Jon Curran had to pinch himself to make sure it wasn’t a dream. The 27-year old Vanderbilt University grad had been making putt after putt after putt and he wanted to be certain what was transpiring in the first and second rounds of the weather-delayed Brasil Champions was real.
It was. It is.
“It’s probably the best I’ve ever played or putted or scored for 36 holes,” said Curran, who nearly rewrote the Web.com Tour record book.
Instead he’ll have to settle for adding his name to several categories after posting rounds of 61-64 for two-day total of 17-under 125, which is good for a five-shot lead halfway into matters at the Sao Paulo Golf Club.
“I wasn’t sure what was going on,” said the Massachusetts native who now calls Tequesta, Florida home. “It was ridiculous. I just wondered what the heck was going on.”
Birdies were going on.
The threat of lightning Thursday afternoon halted play and forced half the field to return Friday. Curran came back to the course Friday morning to finish seven holes of his opening round. With softened greens, no wind and lift, clean and place conditions in effect, he promptly birdied the first six of seven and turned a 4-under round into a 10-under round of 61, setting a new course record in the process.
He had about 20 minutes to get to the 10th tee and begin Round 2, starting on the same side that he had chalked eight straight birdies the first time around. Curran started with three in a row, giving him nine in just 10 holes.
“It sounds cliche but I wasn’t doing anything special,” he said. 
“I was making a lot of putts from 10 feet, from 4 feet, from 15 feet. I was hitting a lot of quality iron shots and putting it in the fairway. I was giving myself a lot of chances to hit it close and I felt pretty confident with the putter."
Curran, a rookie on the Web.com Tour this year, had only two hiccups in 36 holes, both in the second round – he missed a five-footer for par at No. 18 and then three-putted on the par-5, 8th hole to derail his record run.
“I came here and saw this golf course and thought it was awesome,” he said. “It’s short and plays into my advantages because I hit a lot of wedges. I didn’t want to jinx it but I really do like it here.”
Curran’s two-day score of 125 is one off the all-time mark set by Kevin Chappell at the 2010 Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic. His 17-under score is two off the Tour’s mark for most strokes under par after 36 holes which is held by Chappell and Webb Simpson (2008 Chattanooga Classic).
“I’m always looking at the leaderboards but I didn’t today,” said Curran. “I’m always looking at the board when I’m on the cut line. I can’t get myself to ignore it. 
"Today I just went along. I was in the zone, there’s nothing more I can say about it.”
Curran’s nearest challenger is former Florida Gator Andres Echavarria, who birdied four par-3s en route to an 8-under 63 and a 12-under 130 total.
Oscar Fraustro (64) and Pacific Rubiales Colombia Championship winner Alex Cejka (66) share third place at 11-under, six back.
Play was halted at 4:15 when more lightning bubbled up and sent half the field into the cover of the clubhouse. With a thunderstorm brewing, play was called for the day. Second-round play will resume at 7 am Saturday.
Second-Round Notes
• Friday weather: Mostly sunny. Winds NNE 5-10 mph until 3 pm, then shifting SE 10-20 mph with gusts to 37 mph. Daytime high of 90 degrees. Overnight low of 70.
• The low 65 players (and ties) will advance to the final two rounds.
+ Scotland's Jimmy Gunn is going to miss the cut by a big margin even if he were to birdie all of the seven holes he still has to play. The Dornoch man saddled himself with an eight-over-par 79 in the first round. In his uncompleted second round, he birdied the long third, bogeyed the long eighth, birdied the long 13th and he will resume this morning with seven to play.
The forecast is for a cut figure of four under par for 36 holes.

LEADERBOARD
Par 142 (2x71)
125 Jon Curran 61 64
130 Andres Echevarria 67 63
131 Oscar Fraustro 67 64, Alex Cejka 65 66

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JUSTIN ROSE IN THE MIX AT US PGA TOUR EVENT

  Long-hitting Robert Garrigus in action at Palm Harbor.  Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c)

FISHING IS GOOD FOR GARRIGUS'S 

GOLF - HE LEADS BY THREE

FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
PALM HARBOR, Florida (AP) -- Robert Garrigus can't recall a better performance going into the weekend. And his golf has been pretty good, too.
Garrigus spent most of the practice days fishing in the lakes of Innisbrook, catching nearly three dozen bass. As for his day job, he bagged 10 birdies over two days and delivered the best score of the tournament, a 5-under 66 on Friday, to build a three-shot lead in the Valspar Championship.
His only other US PGA Tour victory was a little more than an hour away at Disney, and Garrigus offered a simple explanation.
"It's the fishing," he said.
Garrigus didn't play a single practice round the year he won Disney. He arrived at Innisbrook on Monday and fished that evening, most of Tuesday and then for about five hours Wednesday without ever looking at the Copperhead course.
"I think that puts me in a good frame of mind because I'm clear and not thinking about anything, just going out and having some fun," he said.
His golf has been plenty fun.
Garrigus, one of the longest hitters in golf, has made birdie on all of the par 5s both rounds. That has contributed mightily to being at 7-under 135, three shots clear of Kevin Na going into a weekend with a Masters spot potentially up for grabs.
Only five of the top 22 on the leaderboard already are eligible for the Masters.
Na had a 68, while the group four shots behind included Pat Perez (71), Matteo Manassero (70) and Justin Rose (68), who is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 7. Matt Every shot a 71 in the afternoon and joined them at 3-under 139.
The three-shot lead is the largest through 36 holes in the 14-year history of this tournament.

Garrigus is about the only player who has made it look easy, even though he felt as stressed as anyone on the Copperhead course, regarded by many as perhaps the best tournament course in Florida.
Even though the weather was close to perfect -- only a breeze in warm sunshine -- only 17 players broke 70.
John Daly was not among them. He was struggling with what he called the yips with his putter when he got to the 16th hole. Daly put three shots in the water, shanked a 7-iron, duffed a chip into the bunker and made a 12. With a double bogey on the last hole, he shot a 90, the highest score of his US PGA Tour career.
For all his birdies, Garrigus was especially satisfied with one par.
He pulled his tee shot well left on the 16th hole, the most dangerous tee shot at Innisbrook. The ball went deep into the pines, and Garrigus decided to take on a tiny gap in the trees with a 5-iron.
"I probably hit one of the top-five shots of my life there on 16 out of the trees," he said. "Hit a low, cut 5-iron, then rose it up over the pine tree and cut it 40 yards and hit to 10 feet. That's just one of those shots that when you're playing good and everything is rolling, you kind of expect it.
"It was a lot of fun to try it, and to pull it off was even better. I've spent half my life in the trees. I've had a lot of practice."
He missed the putt, but was more than happy with par.
As for the rest of the golf course, he picked up another birdie on the par-3 15th with a long putt, and one on the par-4 ninth with a 20-foot birdie down the hill.
Rose feels as if his shoulder injury is in the past, except for answering questions about it. He loves the Florida swing because the courses demand so many different shots, and Innisbrook might require the most.
The U.S. Open champion was struggling in the first round until he finished birdie-birdie to salvage a 71. He carried that momentum into the second round, and despite a bogey on No. 6 from being out of position off the tee, and a soft bogey on the par-3 eighth, he felt much better ending with a birdie.
"I got some momentum going today," Rose said. "I worked my way into the tournament early. To finish strong with my round yesterday I think helped give me some momentum into day. ... It's exactly how I needed to flow into the tournament."
Perez was the first player to reach 5 under for the tournament until he missed two drives well to the left. One was in the trees at No. 6, the other went out of bounds on No. 7. Both led to double bogeys, though Perez didn't get down on himself.
"Just move on and keep going," he said.
DIVOTS: The cut was at 3-over 145 and because 84 players advanced to Saturday, there will be a 54-hole cut to top 70 and ties on Saturday. ... Kiwi Danny Lee went from first to worst. He was tied for the lead Thursday, and then shot 79 to miss the cut. ... Ulsterman Darren Clarke made his first cut of 2014 on the US PGA Tour. He withdrew after one round at Riviera and missed the cut at The Honda Classic.  
SECOND-ROUND LEADERS
Par 142 (2x71) Players from USA unless stated
135 Robert Garrigus 69 66
138 Kevin Na 70 68
139 Pat Perez 68 71, Justin Rose (England) 71 68, Matteo Manassero (Italy) 69 70, Matt Every 68 71

SELECTED OTHER SCORES
142 Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium) 69 73 (T22)
143 Luke Donald (England) 71 72, Russell Knox (Scotland) 70 73 (T35)
145 Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 75 70, Darren Clarke (N Ireland) 71 74 (T64)
+There will be a second cut after three rounds

MISSED HALFWAY CUT
146 Ernie Els (S Africa) 72 74
147 Danny Lee (NZ) 68 79, Paul Casey (England) 72 75, Louis Oosthuizen (S Africa) 73 74
151 Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark) 77 74, David Lynn (England) 72 79
152 Brian Davis (England) 73 79
164 John Daly 74 90

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