News
Friday, June 13, 2008
Running Updates - Second Round
Appleby In Clubhouse With Lead
San Diego - Rocco Mediate walked into the clubhouse with a share of the lead, but the second round wasn't quite complete. Mediate registered a 1-over 71, birdieing his final hole with a two-putt birdie from 25 feet. He shared the lead with Robert Karlsson at . That was until Stuart Appleby birdied a 22-footer on the 18th hole, which eliminated nine players who had been hovering near the cutline. Appebly heads into the weekend holding a one-stroke lead over five players, which included Karlsson, Mediate, Davis Love III, D.J. Trahan, Lee Westwood and Tiger Woods.
"The course is firm, real, real firm," said Mediate. "It's not going to get any easier this weekend."
The Swedish-born Karlsson is playing in his fifth U.S. Open. He's only made one cut.
"There are more pressure on the aspects of a U.S. Open," said Karlsson.
Woods fired a 3-under 68, tidying up with a birdie putt on No. 9.
Roaring Back
San Diego - Tiger Woods' putter right now is on fire. He has made four birdies over his first five holes on his second nine holes (he started on 10) to get within one shot of the lead. The latest birdie came at the par-4 fifth hole. Rocco Mediate, Robert Karlsson, Stuart Appleby and Oliver Wilson continue to lead at two under par with Woods, D.J. Trahan, Davis Love III and Lee Westwood just a stroke behind. Yes, the cream is starting to rise at Torrey Pines.
What A Save
San Diego - Phil Mickelson registered a miraculous par save at the third hole after hitting his tee shot over the green into rough near the cliff that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. After pitching back to within 25 feet, Mickelson then holed the putt for the 3 to stay at two over par for the championship.
Westwood On Fire
San Diego - England's Lee Westwood, still seeking that first major championship, has moved within a stroke of the lead with birdies at No. 8 and 10. Westwood opened the championship with a 1-under 70, but bogeyed the first hole before making six consecutive pars. In 2000, Westwood tied for fifth at Pebble Beach and he tied for seventh in 1998 at The Olympic Club.
Tied At The Top
San Diego - Stuart Appleby holed a 10-foot birdie putt at the par-5 ninth to move into a share of the lead with Rocco Mediate at three under par. The Australian posted a 1-under 34 for his first nine holes. Mediate, meanwhile, bogeyed No. 10 to fall back to three under. He made a 3 at the par-3 11th.
Rocco Turns At 4
San Diego - Rocco Mediate completed his first nine at Torrey Pines Friday with a 2-under 33 and now leads the championship by two strokes over Australian Stuart Appleby. Appleby moved to two under with a birdie at the par-4 seventh hole. Appleby's U.S. Open record has not been stellar. In 11 previous starts, he has made the cut just four times and his lone top-10 finish was 10 years ago at The Olympic Club.
Mediate Maintains Lead
San Diego - Rocco Mediate pushed his lead to four under par, first birdieing the par-4 fourth hole and then parring the next two. Mediate finished fourth in the 2001 U.S. Open at Southern Hills, but a bevy of injuries have hindered him the past several years.
While Mediate has retained his lead, Tiger Woods followed a bogey on the South Course's most difficult hole statistically, the par-4 12th, with a fist-pumping eagle 3 on No. 13. He sank an 8-footer to a raucous cheer. Phil Mickelson, even par after the first round, remained level through his first four holes.
Trahan, Love Make Noise
San Diego - D.J. Trahan, winner of the 2000 U.S. Amateur Public Links, and Davis Love III both fired 2-under 69s Friday. Love went birdie-birdie-par on his final three holes.
Ogilvy had been clinging to a 1-under score until bogeying late holes, which put his aggregate at one over.
"It's harder to know how you're playing sometime in a U.S. Open because you feel like you're hitting good shots," said Ogilvy.
Rocco Mediate birdied the second hole to drop to three under. He traded places with first-round co-leader Justin Hicks, who bogeyed the par-3 third hole to drop to two under. Kevin Streelman, the other co-leader entering Friday, suffered a triple bogey and double in his round to finish six over, three over for the championship.
Poulter WDs
San Diego - England's Ian Poulter, who is best known for his sartorial dress, withdrew after 15 holes Friday for an undisclosed injury. Poulter was five over par for the round and 12 over for the championship after carding a 7-over 78 in Thursday's first round. He is the second player to withdraw due to injury after starting the competition, following Mark Calcavecchia on Thursday. Brett Wetterich, Sean O'Hair and Shaun Micheel all withdrew prior to the championship for a variety of ailments.
Donald, Ogilvy Keeping Pace
San Diego - Luke Donald, whose best U.S. Open was a T-12, carded a 2-under 33 on the front nine, carrying that momentum through 10 holes. Consecutive bogeys on Nos. 11 and 12 had him even until he rallied with a birdie on the 13th hole. Former champion Geoff Ogilvy kept pace by reeling off nine straight pars. He was one under for the championship through 13 holes.
Streelman Not Done Yet
San Diego - With the cut looming, players are doing their best to beat the challenging South Course. Geoff Ogilvy has held steady at one under par while first-round co-leader Kevin Streelman has crept back onto the leaderboard. After double bogeying the sixth hole, Streelman needed eight additional holes to get back to level par.
The big three grouping of Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott and Tiger Woods tee off at 1:36 p.m. PDT.
Trahan, Donald On The Move
San Diego - D.J. Trahan, the 2000 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion, has moved into a tie for sixth after posting a 2-under-par 33 on his first nine. Trahan got into red figures with a birdie at the par-5 ninth.
Meanwhile, Luke Donald, a two-time Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cupper, has jumped to two under for the championship with a birdie at the par-4 seventh. Donald now is in a tie for second with Rocco Mediate and Stuart Appleby, who have afternoon starting times. Justin Hicks, another afternoon starter, remains the leader at three under. Donald is trying to become the first European to win the U.S. Open since Tony Jacklin in 1970.
Kevin Streelman also is fighting back from his early 5-over-par start that included a triple bogey at No. 3. Streelman birdied seven and nine to get back to even par for the championship
Dangerous Company
San Diego - Kevin Streelman is fading fast. He's four over for the day. He could pull a Rod Pampling, who was the first-round leader at the British Open but missed the cut.
Interesting note on Geoff Ogilvy. Thursday's sub-par round was the first time he's broken par in an Open. He's holding at one under.
Four Players At One Under
San Diego - In his bid to win a third U.S. Open, Ernie Els jumped to two under for the championship before bogeying the second hole. On the third hole, his wedge off the tee bounded toward the back collar, leaving him with a makeable up and down.
Robert Allenby, Luke Donald and Geoff Ogilvy (2006 champ) were at one-under total. Conditions were a bit windier than Thursday's morning round.
Hard Fall
San Diego - And then he fell. Kevin Streelman triple bogeyed the par-3 third hole to tumble down the leaderboard Friday. Meanwhile, Stewart Cink posted a red number after birdieing his second hole, the par-3 11th, to stand at one under.
Streelman Steady
San Diego - Kevin Streelman, after getting married, continues to play steady. He parred his first two holes to remain three under for the championship.
“As far as the U.S. Open goes, it’s the biggest tournament in our country. It means everything to a golfer," he said Thursday after his round.
Streelman got married to his fiancée, Courtney, in Marco Island, Fla., and then got a post-wedding present when he finally qualified for the Open after trying since his junior year of high school.
