Matthew, Sergas share lead at Women’s British Open
July 31, 2009
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England (AP)—Catriona Matthew of Scotland hit a hole in onein a 5-under 67 Friday to share the second-round lead with Giulia Sergas ofItaly at the Women’s British Open.
Sergas also shot 67 after making five birdies five on the back nine. Bothplayers totaled 3-under 141 at Royal Lytham and St. Annes links course.
“I like them. They have personality,” Sergas said of links courses. “Theyare not boring, but you have to accept the bad bounces. You have to play themaggressively. If you don’t, they will eat you up.”
Matthew eagled the 11th and followed up with an ace on the 12th. She thenmade four more birdies against a lone bogey for a course-record back nine of7-under 30.
“It was certainly easier than yesterday,” Matthew said, referring to lesswind. “This was one of my best nines. It may have been easier but you stillhave to make shots.”
Yuko Mitsuka (71) was a shot back in third. Song-Hee Kim (73) was at 143, astroke ahead of Yani Tseng (70) and Christina Kim (71).
First-round leader Sandra Gal of Germany (80) and Angela Stanford (76), whowas tied for second Thursday, had disappointing rounds.
Michelle Wie from the U.S. pla… AP – Jul 31, 9:22 am EDT
Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa dropped all five shots on the front nine beforefinishing with a 77 at 8 over. But she’s still certain to make the cut.
“At least I played the back nine in level par. I can take that intotomorrow,” the Mexican said.
Cristie Kerr, the leader of the LPGA money list, jarred her wrist playingout of a divot at the sixth and went for treatment after her round of 71.
“Two rounds in the 60s and who knows,” she said.
Paula Creamer shot 74 and Michelle Wie had a 75. Creamer, who made nobirdies in her opening 75, had to wait until the 11th hole Friday for her first.
“They were two completely different days with the wind,” Creamer said. “Inever got off to the right start with my putter and it seemed like the hole wasthis small.
“It was blowing, then it would stop, then it was really windy. It was allover the place.”
Wie took two to get out of a fairway bunker at the last hole before doublebogeying.
“I thought I could get it out but the lip was higher than I realized,” Wiesaid. “I missed so many birdie putts of around 9 feet.”
Wie found a few bunkers, just as she had in her opening round.
“There are so many of them out there, you’re bound to be in some of them,”she said.
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Watson will play Champions Tour’s Tradition
July 31, 2009
SUNRIVER, Ore. (AP)—Tom Watson has committed to play in the Jeld-WenTradition, a major on the Champions Tour.
Watson finished second to Stewart Cink in a playoff at the British Open twoweeks ago.
Watson will be making his ninth appearance in the Tradition, the fifth majoron the Champions Tour. He won the event in 2003 at the Reserve Vineyards andGolf Club in Aloha.
This year’s event will be held Aug. 17-23 at Crosswater Club in Sunriver,Ore.
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Buick Open, Round 2 (PGATOUR.com)
July 31, 2009
LOWERY LOOKING TO REGAIN LEAD (2:05 p.m.): By the time Steve Lowery teed off a little while ago, five guys had already caught or passed him on the leaderboard, despite his opening-round 63. That's what happens at the Buick Open, where birdies come in bunches and people can, will and usually do lap you if you haven't teed off.
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Lowery wasted little time, though, making a birdie on the par-5 first hole to get to 10 under and within two of current leader Michael Letzig. Yesterday, Lowery played holes 1 through 4 in 4 under with four straight birdies. Today, having started on the front nine, he has just the lone birdie on the first hole through his first five ( to follow Lowery's round live with Shot Tracker).—Brian Wacker
STRETCH RUN FOR STADLER (1:55 p.m.): Kevin Stadler has conditional status on the PGA TOUR. He can't be fussy about when or where he plays so he's not complaining about a busy stretch of tournaments.
Stadler is playing for the sixth straight week and through two rounds of the Buick Open he's finding some of his best form. He has posted successive 67s and is in at 10-under 134. That comes after a rough week at the RBC Canadian Open, where a third-round 76 ruined an otherwise reasonable performance.
"I hit it miserably last week," Stadler said. "I'm ready for a little break, ready to kind of figure out what's going on in my golf game, but I've been hitting my irons really good this week. I've just been struggling off the tee. Swapped the driver this week and found a few more fairways, so that's helped.
"Hit the fairways out here, you're going to have a ton of chances."
Even though he has hit only 50 percent of the fairways through 36 holes, it has left Stadler with some excellent chances. He has made 10 birdies and an eagle. Stadler has something even lower in mind for the weekend at the Buick Open, which usually requires something in the 20-under range from the winner.
"You know you're going to need one round of something really low," he said.—Vartan Kupelian
THATCHER NEEDS A GOOD PERFORMANCE (1:40 p.m.): The morning wave continues to have its way with Warwick Hills, where Roland Thatcher is finishing up his round and is currently 8 under on the day and 10 under for the week.
Thatcher has hit 15 of 17 greens in regulation so far with a better-than-average 25 putts. While his round won't be the lowest of his career—that was a 61 at last year's Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun—it will be the best of his season to date. Coming into this week, Thatcher had made just 3 of 9 cuts and had broken 70 just five times in 24 rounds.
Playing this year on a Major Medical after a wrist injury cut short his season last May, Thatcher has 13 events to earn just over $400,000 (coupled with his $445,000-plus earned last year) to equal the No. 125 spot on last year's money list. With just over $263,000 so far, a strong finish here, his 10th event of 2009, would obviously go a long, long way.—Brian Wacker
DALY'S DISMAL DAY (1:15 p.m.): While Tiger Woods was busy chasing the lead and shooting a 9-under 63, John Daly was going the other way and fast. After starting with two birdies in his first four holes, Daly's round quickly got away from him. He bogeyed No. 15, doubled No. 18 and made a quintuple-bogey 10 on the first hole. A quad, a triple, a double and a regular old bogey later and he was in with a 51 over his final nine holes.
For Daly, it's far and away his worst round of the year—though he did shoot an 89 in the second round of last year's British Open—and a couple of steps back from what was looking like a promising year. Is it one one bad round or a sign of things to come? We'll find out in the weeks ahead.—Brian Wacker
TAYLOR IN GOOD POSITION (1 p.m.): It was always lurking somewhere in the back of Vaughn Taylor's mind that the Buick Open might be the site of the breakthrough he's been waiting for. So far, he hasn't been disappointed.
Taylor added a second-round 68 Friday and is in at 11-under 133.
"I played good here a few years back and clinched the Ryder Cup that week," Taylor said. "It was a really memorable week. And all week I've actually been thinking about it so good memories, and it's good to play here."
Taylor tied for fourth at Warwick Hills in 2006 and earned a spot on Captain Tom Lehman's Ryder Cup team for the matches in Ireland.
"I've struggled pretty much ever since," Taylor said. "Can't really explain why. Really been working hard and just trying to get out of it. I feel like I'm heading in the right direction."
Taylor's best finish this year is a tie for 14th at Pebble Beach in February. He arrived at Warwick Hills having missed the cut in three straight tournaments and five of seven.—Vartan Kupelian
TIGER IN … WITH 63 (12:44 p.m.): Tiger Woods has finished his round with birdies in two of his last three holes to come in with a 9-under 63. That's his lowest round of the year and puts him at 10 under for the tournament, two shots back of current leader Michael Letzig.
After a string of five consecutive pars ended his bid at beating or tying the course record of 61 (which he shares with Billy Mayfair), Tiger birdied the par-5 seventh with a six-foot putt and the par-3 eighth with an 11-foot putt.
Here's a look at Tiger's scorecard from the second round. For more, .
HISTORICAL VIDEOS (12:30 p.m.): The Buick Open has produced some great moments and great champions since its inaugural event in 1958. We've got lots of interesting footage from some of those years, including the first televised hole-in-one. .
LETZIG GOES LOW (12:05 p.m.): While Tiger Woods finishes up the last few holes in his round, Michael Letzig is already in with a 7-under 65 that gets him to 12 under through the first 36 holes of the Buick Open.
For Letzig, it matches a season-low and is two shots off his career-low. While Woods did his damage on the back nine at Warwick Hills, Letzig did his on the front with five birdies en route to a 31 over his final nine holes. On the day, Letzig missed just two greens in regulation and took 27 putts, the former of which was much better than his first would when he hit just 10 of 18 greens in regulation.
This is just Letzig's second year on the PGA TOUR and it's the first time he's had the 36-hole lead. He has had flashes though. Last year, Letzig shot a 63 in the third round of the Travelers Championship on his way to a tie for 10th. He had four other top-10s, too, including a tie for second at the 2008 Ginn sur Mer Classic.
Now let's see if Letzig's score holds up, or how long it does.—Brian Wacker
Below is a look at Letzig's scorecard from today ( to replay his round with Shot Tracker):
TIGER UPDATE (11:35 a.m.): After getting off to a ridiculously good start with five birdies and an eagle in his first seven holes, Tiger Woods has cooled off a bit, making one birdie, one bogey and five pars over his last seven holes. He still has the par-5 seventh to play and there may be one other birdie out there for him, but it appears he won't duplicate what he did in 2005 when he opened 71-61 before eventually finishing second. Nonetheless, Woods has played himself back into the tournament even if guys continue to go low, which it looks like they will.—Brian Wacker
THE GOOD AND THE NOT SO GOOD (11:15 a.m.): Make birdies, or go home. That's pretty much the theme at the Buick Open. Of the players on the golf course right now—which is about half the field—only 20 players are over par on their rounds.
Unfortunately for John Daly, he's one of those players. As my colleagues on Sirius-XM would say, he's "high human" as in last on the leaderboard right now at 7 over on his round and 11 over for the tournament.
After struggling to a 76 yesterday, Daly got off to a good enough start today with birdies on Nos. 10 and 13. Then things started to get slippery. He bogeyed No. 15, doubled No. 18 and made a 10 on the par-5 first after hitting two tee balls out of bounds and then hacking it home the rest of the way.—Brian Wacker
ANOTHER BIRDIE FOR TIGER (11 a.m.): The bogey on the 18th didn't get Tiger Woods down for too long. He bounced back with a birdie on the par-5 first hole, where he two-putted from 25 feet after reaching the green in two. That now gives Woods six birdies and an eagle through his first 12 holes.—Brian Wacker
MORE LOW NUMBERS (10:45 a.m.): Tiger Woods isn't the only one making birdies at the Buick Open. He knows it's going to take 20-something under to win this tournament and already a number of players are right there with him on the birdie train this morning.
Vaughn Taylor and Michael Letzig are 1-2 on the leaderboard at the moment and both are 5 under on their respective rounds. Mark Brooks, who last won on the PGA TOUR in 1996, is in contention, too, at 6 under through his first 12 holes and 9 under for the tournament.
We've been playing for less than 4 hours this morning and already yesterday's leader, Steve Lowery, who opened with a 63, has been tied or passed by four guys. That should give you a pretty good idea of what Woods was talking about when he said guys were going to continue to go low.—Brian Wacker
TRACKING TIGER (10:30 a.m.): "It's a process. Obviously I'm not going to get it back in one day. Guys are going to continue to go low. So I gotta get it back over the next three days, and hopefully I can do that."—Tiger Woods after yesterday's opening-round 71.
Apparently Woods listens to himself well because he's already on his way to going low this morning. He's right in that he won't get it all back in one day, but he won't be far off, not after making four birdies and an eagle on his way to a 6-under 30 over his first nine holes (the back nine) at Warwick Hills.
This is is eerily reminiscent of 2005, when he opened with a 71 and came back in Round 2 to shoot a course-record tying 61. That means he'll need to shoot a 5-under 31 on the front, which he's certainly capable of doing given two par-5s and the way he's playing so far with 12 putts, which includes a three-putt from 61 feet for bogey on No. 18.
Woods, who shot four rounds of 66 the last time he won here, said that he had to play well today to make the cut and to play himself back into contention. Well, he's obviously done that. What will he do the rest of the way? ( to follow live with Shot Tracker.) Yesterday, he had two bogeys and just one birdie on the front. Just a hunch, but it's doubtful he does that again.—Brian Wacker
MAKING THE TURN (10:19 a.m.): Tiger Woods cooled off just as he reached the turn, making bogey on the par-4 18th when he three-putted from 71 feet.
Even so, he has made the turn in 30, 6 under for his round, and will now finish up on the front nine, where two more par 5s await. He's still on pace for a 60, which would be a career low.
ANOTHER BIRDIE (9:53 a.m.): Tiger Woods has birdied the par-5 16th by sinking a putt of 8 feet, 5 inches. That puts Tiger at 7 under on his round through his first seven holes.
For the tournament, Tiger is now 8 under for the tournament. Having started his round tied for 95th, he has moved into a tie for third.
TIGER UPDATE (9:30 a.m.): Tiger Woods is making up for lost time on Friday morning.
Woods, who struggled with his irons and putter in shooting 1 under at Warwick Hills on Thursday, certainly seems to have everything dialed in during the second round.
Starting his round off the 10th tee, he's made four birdies and an eagle at the par-4 12th to play his first five holes in 6 under. Woods is 7 under for the tournament and just two off the lead.
He got things rolling with a 9-footer for birdie at the 10th hole and then drained a 6-footer at No. 11. He was 31 yards short and left of the green on the 340-yard 12th and chipped in for the eagle.
Woods, a two-time Buick Open champion, then made a 9-footer for his next birdie and two-putted from 49 feet at the par-5 15th for the fourth.
Woods' career low is 61, which he has shot three times—most recently at the 2005 Buick Open.
To follow Tiger's round on ShotTracker, . — Helen Ross
Groups We're Watching Tee time Players 1:12 p.m. ET, Hole No. 10 
John Senden, Heath Slocum, Paul StankowskiWith all three players under par after 18 holes (and Senden in second at 8 under), this should be an exciting group today. 7:45 a.m. ET, Hole No. 1 
Nathan Green, K.J. Choi, Brandt SnedekerAnother group with three players in red numbers: Green's still riding high with a Thursday 69 coming off his Canada win. 7:54 a.m. ET, Hole No. 10 
Tiger Woods, Jonathan Byrd, Todd HamiltonWoods has never missed consecutive cuts at the professional level. No pressure today, Tiger. Live Essentials 
Follow every shot with our newest application 
The only place on the Internet for real-time live scoring 
Listen to expert commentary on the PGA TOUR Network 
News, notes, stats and analysis during each round
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Storm, Webster tied for lead at Moravia Silesia
July 31, 2009
CELADNA, Czech Republic (AP)—Graeme Storm shot another 4-under 68 Friday toshare the lead after the second round of the Moravia Silesia Open.
Storm birdied four of his first seven holes and was tied with fellowEnglishman Steve Webster at 8-under 136. Five players were a shot back.
Webster had five birdies but finished with a 70 after a double bogey on No.14 and a bogey on No. 2.
Overnight leader Tano Goya of Argentina shot a 75 after an opening-round 65to drop to 14th.
Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain, who helped design the 7,155-yard course atthe Prosper Golf resort, shot a second straight 71 and was 2 under.
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Woods to return to Firestone
July 31, 2009
AKRON, Ohio (AP)—Tiger Woods has entered the Bridgestone Invitational nextweek at Firestone, making it official that he will play three straight eventsconcluding with the final major of the year.
It is not unusual for the world’s No. 1 player to compete three straightweeks on the PGA Tour, although the third tournament has never been a major.Woods is playing the Buick Open this week. The PGA Championship follows theBridgestone Invitational.
Woods is a six-time winner at Firestone, having won the last three times hehas played in this World Golf Championship. He was unable to defend this titlelast year because of knee surgery that kept him out the second half of the year.
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Woods bounces back with 2nd-round 63 at Buick Open
July 31, 2009
GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP)—Tiger Woods has shot a season-low,second-round 63 to move into contention at the Buick Open.
Poor putting led to an awful start in the first round in Woods’ firsttournament since missing the cut at the British Open.
Woods teed off early Friday morning, hitting his first drive 342 yardsstraight into the blinding sun. He went on to abirdie-birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie start to remove the remote chance he wouldmiss the cut in consecutive events for the first time as a pro.
Woods followed up what he called probably the worst putting day of hiscareer with a good one, helping go into the weekend at 10-under 134.
Michael Letzig (65) had the clubhouse lead at 12 under.
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Palmer opens NC State golf course
July 31, 2009
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)—Arnold Palmer sent a wedge shot about 50 yards down thedriving range to open the golf course he designed at North Carolina State.
Palmer appeared at a ceremony Friday marking the opening of the $12 millionLonnie Poole Golf Course, a par-71 layout on N.C. State’s campus that measures7,358 yards.
The course offers views of Raleigh’s skyline and is the first built insidethe city’s Interstate 440 beltline since 1948. It will be used by the school’sturfgrass program and the Wolfpack’s golf teams.
Chancellor Jim Woodward called the course “a tremendous asset for N.C.State but maybe even more importantly, a tremendous asset for this state andregion.”
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Jackson, Funk atop leader board at Senior Open
July 31, 2009
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—Amateur Tim Jackson has birdied three consecutive holes onthe back nine to take the early second-round lead at the U.S. Senior Open. He’s11-under through 15 holes.
Three others who shared the first-round lead with Jackson entering Friday—Greg Norman, Dan Forsman and Joey Sindelar—are scheduled to tee off later.
The record-setting Jackson and the hard-charging Fred Funk spent much of themorning battling for the lead. Funk made five birdies, the last coming on hisfinal hole of the day. He shot 67 and is one shot back, at 9-under.
Jackson opened with a birdie on No. 1, took control with birdies at Nos.11-13 and added another at 15. He still has not made a bogey.
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Jackson ties US Senior Open 36-hole scoring record
July 31, 2009
CARMEL, Ind. (AP)—Tim Jackson has tied the U.S. Senior Open 36-hole scoringrecord, shooting a 5-under 67 in the second round for a 11-under 133 and atwo-shot lead over Fred Funk.
Jackson, an amateur, birdied No. 15 to reach 11 under for the first time onFriday, but bogeyed the next hole, his first in two rounds. He closed out hisround with an 8-foot birdie at No. 18 to get back to 11 under and tie DaveStockton and Simon Hobday.
Funk also shot 67.
The other players tied with Jackson for the lead after Thursday—GregNorman, Dan Forsman and Joey Sindelar—had afternoon tee times.
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Golf-Fired up Woods rockets into contention at Buick Open (Reuters)
July 31, 2009
By Steve Keating
GRAND BLANC, Michigan, July 31 (Reuters) – A fired up TigerWoods roared into contention with a second round nine-under 63at the Buick Open on Friday, burying any thoughts he might missconsecutive cuts for the first time in his professional career.
Back in action for the first time since the British Openwhere he failed to make the cut in a major championship for onlythe second time as a professional, Woods arrived at WarwickHills on Friday morning facing the possibility of anotherweekend off.
After labouring to an opening round 71 on one of hisall-time favourite layouts, Woods languished tied in 95th place,three shots behind the projected cut off of four-under and eightbehind overnight leader Steve Lowery.
But the world number one responded in spectacular stylegoing six-under on his opening five holes on way to his lowestround of the season to rocket up the leaderboard.
Michael Letzig seized the second round clubhouse lead afterreturning a seven-under 65 but all eyes were on Woods, who islurking just two shots back on midway total of 10-under 134.
“It’s a process I can’t get it all back in one round, Ipositioned myself so far back yesterday it wasn’t going tohappen,” Woods told reporters. “But if I birdied the holesyou’re suppose to birdie and a couple of others here and thereyou’re going to come up with a round in the mid-60s and Ithought that would get me in touch with the leaders.
“I was so far back yesterday I was just trying to make sureI put a dent into that everyday.
“At least I’m back in the tournament.”
It was Woods’ 33rd consecutive under-par round at WarwickHills but not his lowest at the tree-lined layout.
He achieved that in 2005 when the 14-times major winner alsofumbled to a 71 then hit back with a course record 61.
Playing the back nine first, Woods took advantage of idealconditions opening with back-to-back birdies then chipped in foreagle on the par four 12th.
The 33-year-old American then dropped rapid fire birdies at13 and 14th before his first par of the day on the 15th whichwas followed by another birdie at 16.
But Woods had not completely worked the kinks out of a wonkyputter that he blamed for his disappointing first round.
Cruising along at seven-under through seven Woods missed athree-footer for birdie on 17 then three-putted the 18th for hisonly bogey of the round.
After a birdie at the first, Woods’s charge stalled withfive consecutive pars but finished with another flurry nailingback-to-back birdies at seven and eight.
“I was a little bit hot after yesterday,” said Woods. “Itwas nice to birdie the first couple.
“This golf course is playing soft and easy, you shouldbirdie every hole but you can also make a few mistakes like Idid yesterday.
“If I shot that number again today, I’m out of here.”
(Editing by Pritha Sarkar; To query or comment on this storyemail sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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