Russell Knox is just one off a four-way tie for the lead in Connecticut (TracyWilcox)
CROMWELL, Connecticut. — Having shot his second straight 3-under 67 Friday
afternoon at TPC River Highlands, Russell Knox was offered
congratulations for being in contention. The personable Scot from Inverness, he of the breakout year on the US PGA Tour,
accepted the good cheer, but said “being in contention includes everyone
who makes the cut.” He wasn’t kidding, either. For whatever reason you put the finger on — devilish hole locations,
greens that firmed up as the day went on, swirling winds, or a cozy golf
course that seems to show its colors when the field is bunched — the
36-hole cut at the Travelers Championship has delivered the sort of
clarity you get when you drive through Manhattan at 6:30 on a Friday.
If you like wide-open spaces, don’t look at the agate list here at
the Travelers, because from the four names tied at 7-under 133 — Tyrone
Van Aswegen, Daniel Berger, Russell Henley and Marc Leishman — to the 18
names tied for 56th — a mere six strokes separates the leaders to those
who made the cut on the number. So claustrophobic is it that one of those names tied for 56th at
1-under 139, Louis Oosthuizen, shook his head. “If you play good enough,
you feel like you can shoot 5 or 6 under and see where that puts you,”
he said. “Anyone could win this.” Well, not everyone, because Andrew Loupe missed the cut, an
inexplicable exit on an improbable day. One of two players to push as
deep as 8 under, Loupe’s fortunes turned when he triple-bogeyed the
par-4 14th. He made the turn at 6 under, and played the front in 41 to
finish at level-par. That was one too high as 73 advanced at 1 under or better. Each and every one thinking he has a chance. “If it stays firm, you never know,” said Vaughn Taylor, who shot 71
and at 5-under 135 is in a logjam with six others. Then again,
everywhere you look there is a logjam, because in addition to the four
who share the lead, there are four others — Jerry Kelly, 70; Robert
Garrigus, 67; Patrick Rodgers, 66; and Knox — who are tied for fifth at 6
under. Among the notables to make the cut:
Three of four who will fly to the Olympics Sunday night to represent
the U.S. — Matt Kuchar at 4 under; Bubba Watson and Patrick Reed at 3
under.
Jon Rahm, the impressive Spaniard via Arizona State, backed up a 65 with a 70 and is 5 under.
Padraig Harrington and Hunter Mahan both birdied their 18th hole, the par-4 ninth, to make the cut on the number.
Ernie Els, who was 4 over at one point in Thursday’s first round,
pitched in for eagle at the par-4 ninth and holed a wedge shot from
behind the 17th green to shoot 67 and make the cut at 1 under.
Bryson DeChambeau was 2 over for the tournament, but birdied four
times over his final six holes to shoot 66 and get into the weekend at 2
under.
Of the four co-leaders, Leishman won here in 2012, while Berger and
Henley have also won on Tour. Van Aswegen, meanwhile, is not only 114th
in the FedEx Cup standings, he sits No. 348 in the Official World Golf
Ranking. With rain forecast to come into the area early in the afternoon,
tournament officials pushed tee times up so they’ll go off of two tees
in threesomes between 7 and 9 a.m. Expect the range to be crowded in the early morning, just like the leaderboard. SECOND-ROUND LEADERBOARD
par 140 (2x70)
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