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Toms and Riley share Ohio lead at halfway stage
Akron, Ohio, Aug 23: David Toms and Chris Riley used different methods to shoot identical scores for a share of the lead at the halfway stage of the World Golf Championships-NEC invitational yesterday.
Akron, Ohio, Aug 23: David Toms and Chris Riley used
different methods to shoot identical scores for a share of the lead
at the halfway stage of the World Golf Championships-NEC
invitational yesterday.
Paired together at Firestone Country Club's south course, Toms used a precision long game and Riley an economy of putting strokes to come in with three-under-par 67s.
The American duo ended the second round at seven-under 133, one stroke ahead of a hard-charging Fred Funk and Vijay Singh on a day when scoring conditions grew increasingly difficult because of freshening winds and fast fairways and greens.
''We were at a disadvantage to play as late as we did,'' said Toms, the 2001 PGA champion, whose round was highlighted by an eagle at the par-four sixth hole after knocking in a pitching wedge from 127 yards.
''It was a totally different golf course in the afternoon.'' Toms hit 11 fairways and 13 greens in regulation, but could not distance himself from his playing partner, Riley, who took just 24 putts.
''The key for me was I pretty much hit it in the fairway all day,'' Toms said.
''If I could have hit my irons a little closer I could have had a good score. The only bogey I made was the middle of the fairway with a wedge.''
Riley often struggled to land on the fairway, yet he remains the only player in the field without a bogey.
''I didn't drive the ball as well as I know I can. I really hung in there,'' said Riley, who hit just five fairways and nine greens.
''The round was probably one of my better ones this year because I hung in there and stuck it together and those are the rounds you need to win tournaments.''
Funk, who benefited from the mid-morning conditions, shot a bogey-free eight-under 62, one off the course record.
His day began with an eagle-two at the par-four first when he holed out from 120 yards with a pitching wedge.
Brad Faxon, who shot 67, and Darren Clarke of northern Ireland, who had a 70, were tied for fifth at 135, one ahead of Retief Goosen and Davis Love III.
Goosen had a 69, while Love bogeyed two of the last three holes for 70.
Peter Jacobsen jumped 54 spots after shooting 64 and was tied for ninth with five others, including Tiger Woods, who double-bogeyed the final hole for a 72, and Ernie Els.
Clarke had an up-and down round that included an early eagle as he got to eight-under par and the lead, but like many other players, he found the closing holes difficult.
''It was good to grind it out and make a score,'' Clarke said. ''the wind and the hard greens make it tough on everyone. The course is very difficult right now.''
First-round co-leaders Ben Curtis and Sergio Garcia matched each other's scores again, only this time their six-over scores of 76 left them on even-par 140 and in a tie for 27th.
Bureau Report
Paired together at Firestone Country Club's south course, Toms used a precision long game and Riley an economy of putting strokes to come in with three-under-par 67s.
The American duo ended the second round at seven-under 133, one stroke ahead of a hard-charging Fred Funk and Vijay Singh on a day when scoring conditions grew increasingly difficult because of freshening winds and fast fairways and greens.
''We were at a disadvantage to play as late as we did,'' said Toms, the 2001 PGA champion, whose round was highlighted by an eagle at the par-four sixth hole after knocking in a pitching wedge from 127 yards.
''It was a totally different golf course in the afternoon.'' Toms hit 11 fairways and 13 greens in regulation, but could not distance himself from his playing partner, Riley, who took just 24 putts.
''The key for me was I pretty much hit it in the fairway all day,'' Toms said.
''If I could have hit my irons a little closer I could have had a good score. The only bogey I made was the middle of the fairway with a wedge.''
Riley often struggled to land on the fairway, yet he remains the only player in the field without a bogey.
''I didn't drive the ball as well as I know I can. I really hung in there,'' said Riley, who hit just five fairways and nine greens.
''The round was probably one of my better ones this year because I hung in there and stuck it together and those are the rounds you need to win tournaments.''
Funk, who benefited from the mid-morning conditions, shot a bogey-free eight-under 62, one off the course record.
His day began with an eagle-two at the par-four first when he holed out from 120 yards with a pitching wedge.
Brad Faxon, who shot 67, and Darren Clarke of northern Ireland, who had a 70, were tied for fifth at 135, one ahead of Retief Goosen and Davis Love III.
Goosen had a 69, while Love bogeyed two of the last three holes for 70.
Peter Jacobsen jumped 54 spots after shooting 64 and was tied for ninth with five others, including Tiger Woods, who double-bogeyed the final hole for a 72, and Ernie Els.
Clarke had an up-and down round that included an early eagle as he got to eight-under par and the lead, but like many other players, he found the closing holes difficult.
''It was good to grind it out and make a score,'' Clarke said. ''the wind and the hard greens make it tough on everyone. The course is very difficult right now.''
First-round co-leaders Ben Curtis and Sergio Garcia matched each other's scores again, only this time their six-over scores of 76 left them on even-par 140 and in a tie for 27th.
Bureau Report