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Woodland fires 65 to top star-studded US Open leaderboard
PEBBLE BEACH, United States, June 15, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Gary Woodland
drained a 50-foot birdie put at his final hole on Friday to cap a six-under
par 65 and take a two-stroke US Open lead over former champion Justin Rose at
Pebble Beach.
Woodland’s tee shot at his final hole, the par-four ninth, nestled in a
divot in the fairway, but he still managed to reach the green in two to close
out his round in sensational style.
“That was just a bonus,” Woodland said. “Hit a beautiful drive. I was in
the divot, a pretty deep divot. We were a little indecisive what we were
going to do. We tried to take a little less club and hit it hard and play out
to the safe to the right and was nice to knock it in.”
Woodland was more pleased with a tough up and down for par at the eighth,
where he sank a clutch 15-foot putt after chipping from the greenside rough.
“That was huge,” he said. “I played beautifully all day. I didn’t want to
give a shot back.”
Woodland became just the third player to post a 65 in US Open play at
Pebble Beach, a record set by Tiger Woods in 2000 and equalled by Rose on
Thursday.
His 36-hole total of nine-under 133 is one shot better than Woods posted
had in 2000, when he led by six on the way to a crushing 15-stroke triumph.
Woodland, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour who led last year’s PGA
championship at the halfway stage on the way to his best major finish — a
tie for sixth — has plenty of marquee names on his tail.
Rose, the 2013 US Open winner, fired a second-round 70 for 137. Former
British Open winner Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa had seven birdies and
six bogeys in a wild 70 for 136.
Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy and South African-born American Aaron
Wise were a shot back on five-under 137, McIlroy with a 69 and Wise a 71.
Five players were tied at four-under, a group that included two-time
defending US Open champion Brooks Koepka, who carded his second-straight 68.
He was tied with Americans Chez Reavie, Chesson Hadley and Matt Kuchar and
England’s Matt Wallace.
As Pebble Beach remained receptive in cool, overcast weather, 15-time major
champion Woods was unable to take advantage.
The US superstar stumbled to a bogey-bogey finish in a one-over par 72 that
left him even four the tournament.
“Not a very good finish,” Woods said shortly, admitting he was “still a
little hot” shortly after signing his scorecard.
Although birdies were still plentiful, Pebble Beach proved it could still
bite.
McIlroy was flying at six-under for the tournament when he found himself
unable to get up and down for par from a greenside bunker at 13. He then took
a double-bogey seven at the par-five 14th.
McIlroy, coming off a seven-stroke romp at the Canadian Open, responded
with back-to-back birdies.
“Those birdies on 15 and 16 felt huge to get me back in this tournament for
the weekend,” he said. “I need to keep it going. Fairways, greens: It sounds
boring and cliched but that’s what you need to do round here. The course is
only going to get tougher.”
– Koepka hanging around –
Rose considered himself in the “perfect spot” at seven-under, even if it
wasn’t the top of the leaderboard.
“At this point there’s not a lot to worry about,” said Rose, adding that he
was doing what it takes to win a US Open.
“My short game has been really, really strong this week. I’ve made a lot of
putts inside 10 feet. I’ve managed my game really well.
“I’ve always given myself an opportunity to salvage something out of every
hole I’ve played. And I haven’t compounded any mistakes so far.”
Koepka, trying to become just the second golfer to win three straight US
Open titles, said much the same.
He teed off on 10 and was even through nine holes with one birdie and one
bogey. He put together back-to-back birdies at six and seven to inch up the
leaderboard.
“I know you just need to be hanging around on the weekend,” he said.
BSS/AFP/GMR/0952 hrs