Golf-Dufner takes run at PGA leaderboard and history

Golf-Dufner takes run at PGA leaderboard and history

August 9, 2013








* Dufner matches lowest round in a major

* Simpson also flirts with major record

* Justin Rose stages back-nine charge (Updates at end of second round)

By Steve Keating

ROCHESTER, New York, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Jason Dufnerbrightened up a dreary day with a charge up the PGAChampionship leaderboard and a run at golf history, carding a seven-under 63 on Friday to match the best score for a round at a major.

Just hours after Webb Simpson thrilled the rain-soaked crowd with a 64, equalling the Oak Hill course record, Dufner went one better, becoming just the 24th player to shoot 63 at one of golf's four major events.

His bogey-free round also shot the laid-back American to the top of the leaderboard with a two round total of nine-under 131, giving him a two shot advantage over Australia's Adam Scott (68) and the American pairMatt Kuchar (66) and Jim Furyk (68).

Britain's U.S. Open champion Justin Rose (66), Swede Henrik Stenson (66) will start Saturday's third round one stoke further back at six-under.

Tiger Woods, stuck in a five-year major-victory drought, was unable to work his way up the leaderboard, scrapping to a level par 70 to sit a distant 10 back of the leader.

"It's tough when you're chasing history," Dufner told reporters. "You will be the first one to do something. I don't think I've been the first to do anything in my life.

"So it was a little nerve-wracking for a Friday. It's usually the pressure you might feel towards the end of the tournament but I got through it.

"I made a couple of pars, and I wish I had that putt on the last hole back again."

While the galleries were electrified by the 36-year-old's composed and masterful display, Dufner was typically blasé, showing not a hint of emotion when his approach at the second spun back into the cup for an eagle or when his approach to the 18th landed 12-feet from the hole.


As Dufner walked onto the green sizing up the historic putt, the crowd fell quiet, then groaned when it slowly rolled to halt short of its target.

"Obviously had a fantastic day today in a major championship, chased a little bit of history," said Dufner. "Came up a little short on that last putt but all-in-all I'm excited."

As the rain disappeared and the sun began to peak out from behind the clouds, there was more drama unfolding with the late starters attacking a defenseless East course with gusto.

With the sun-setting, K.J. Choi was poised to challenge the record, reaching six-under for the round with two holes to play but a bogey ended his run and he signed for a 65.

The early starters were greeted by dark skies and pounding rain at stately Oak Hill Country Club but the soggy conditions could not prevent some of the contenders from getting off to hot starts.

Scott, the joint overnight leader alongside Furyk, teed off on the back nine in the worst of the conditions but the Masters champion was unbothered by the downpour, picking up a birdie on his opening hole.

"It was raining pretty hard on and off and the course was playing tough," said Scott.

"So it was nice to get off to a good start while the tough conditions were out there and I managed to hang on.

"The course is obviously softening up and I'm sure some guys will take advantage of that but so far so good for two days."

The heavy favorite coming into this week after romping to a seven-stroke victory at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Sunday, Woods was unable to take advantage of the soft conditions.

"I made my share, I missed my share. Just the way it goes," he said. "Obviously I'm going to have to put together a really good weekend.

"I'm going to have to do my job and shoot a good round."

Defending champion Rory McIlroy (71), eager to turn his game around after a poor season by his standards, looked headed for an early exit until a late turnaround down the stretch.

The Northern Irishman's play was as gloomy as the early weather until he roared back with four birdies over his final seven holes to get back to level par 140 for the tournament and make the cut. (Reporting by Steve Keating' Editing by Julian Linden)

Golf-Dufner fires record-tying 63 to join major club

Golf-Dufner fires record-tying 63 to join major club

August 9, 2013








* Misses 12-foot birdie putt on 18 for a 62

* Becomes 24th player to shoot a 63 in a major (Adds detail, quotes)

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

ROCHESTER, New York, Aug 9 (Reuters) - AmericanJason Dufner came agonisingly close to shooting the first 62 at a major before settling for a record-tying 63 in Friday's second round of the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Open.

Needing a birdie at the par-four last to etch his name into golf's history books, Dufner left his 12-foot uphill putt 18 inches short of the cup, then tapped in for par to complete a seven-under score.

Known for his unflappable and ultra-laidback persona, the 36-year-old became the 24th player to shoot a 63 at a major on a day when Oak Hill's East Course was ripe for plundering after being rain-softened during the week.

Dufner holed out with a sand wedge from the fairway to eagle the par-four second, then reeled off five birdies over the next 13 holes on the way to a two-shot lead in the year's final major, at nine-under 131.

"It was a great day for me, a good day to get out there and score," Dufner told reporters after tying the PGA Championship low for 36 holes, and improving the course record at Oak Hill by a stroke.

"Obviously the rain, the soft golf course made it scoreable but to join history, to shoot a 63 in a major, is pretty unbelievable, and to be leading the tournament is even better. Hopefully it will propel me to a great weekend."

Asked whether he had been aware of how his own round stacked up to the record books, Dufner replied: "I knew that nobody had shot 62, and the course record (of 64) I had heard on TV earlier in the week.

"So I knew where I stood and you couldn't have a better putt for a chance at history on the last hole but I just didn't quite hit it hard enough."

CHASING BIRDIE


Dufner, a double winner on the PGA Tour, was delighted with his first two shots on the final hole as he chased a sixth birdie of the day.

"I hit a great tee shot," he said. "Then I was a little bit in between clubs, in between a five and a six-iron, from 203 yards (for his approach), so I went with a six and left it in a perfect spot.

"The greens had gotten a little bit slower, obviously a little bit bumpier and I probably didn't hit the best putt, probably the worst putt I hit of the day, which is a little disappointing.

"But all in all, it's a 63, and my name is on top of the leaderboard, so that's a great position to be playing from. If I could do it over, I guess I would hit the (birdie) putt harder."

Dufner's closest bid for a major victory came in the 2011 PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club where he led by five strokes while playing the fourth-last hole before losing steam.

He ended up losing the title in a playoff with PGA Tour rookie Keegan Bradley, but believes that experience, and his two victories on the U.S. circuit last year, can only stand him in good stead at Oak Hill this week.

"Atlanta is probably the best I've ever hit it in my career for that specific week," he said.

"I played really flawless there for 68 holes or 69 holes. That's probably the best I've hit it in my career. Today, I scored better.

"I've got more experience now playing in these major championships, winning a couple of events, being close to winning some more events since Atlanta, so that will always help."

Asked whether he was as laid-back on the inside as his demeanour suggested, Dufner smiled: "I'm probably like everybody else but I can hide it a little bit better.

"Today was a little bit unusual because just of the buzz that was going on with the round that I was producing. Usually get that buzz towards the end of the championship.

"When you're chasing history, it's tough. But in my head, I was just trying to get further and further away from the field, trying to make birdies." (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Frank Pingue/Greg Stutchbury)

Tiger Woods falters again on the major stage

Tiger Woods falters again on the major stage
PAUL NEWBERRY (AP National Writer) August 9, 2013AP - Sports







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Tiger Woods wipes his face as he leaves the 19th green during the second round of the PGA Championship …


PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) -- Tiger Woods finished another disappointing round with another bogey Friday, then headed straight to the practice range.

There was a lot of work to do.

Unfortunately for Woods, it's probably too late to do anything about another major championship slipping away.

Woods plodded through an even-par 70 at Oak Hill when there were 60s all over the place, leaving him a daunting 10 shots behind leader Jason Dufner heading to the weekend of the PGA Championship.

Making the task even more difficult, there were 37 players between Dufner, who was at 9-under 131, and Woods.

''Just the way it goes,'' Woods said. ''Obviously, I need to hit it better than I have.''

He has yet to break par through two days on a course that was ripe for the taking, the greens softened by plenty of rain and receptive to iron shots from the world's best players.

Woods is certainly one of those - maybe the best ever - but he simply can't find the magic that once made him such an intimidating figure in the Grand Slam events.

He has been stuck on 14 major titles since his victory at the 2008 U.S. Open, and it looks as if he'll go through a fifth straight year without winning one of them - by far the longest drought of his career.

Even in a year when Woods has five victories on the PGA Tour, three more than anyone else, he can't put it together in the events that really matter. In 14 rounds at the major championships, he has shot in the 60s only once.

Woods bogeyed the second hole, but looked as if he might be poised for one those Tiger-like runs when he made back-to-back birdies starting at No. 5.


But, in what is becoming a familiar refrain, he couldn't keep it going.

At the par-3 11th, he dumped his tee shot into the rough in front of the green, leading to a bogey. At the 12th, he didn't even bother looking when a poor approach shot caught the right edge of the green with the flag flapping on the left, ruining any shot at a birdie. At the 14th, he drove the green on the 323-yard par-4, only to three-putt.

''I made my share and missed my share,'' he said. ''Just the way it goes.''

Woods birdied the 15th, gave it back with a bogey on 16. He caught a break at the 17th when a 15-foot birdie try rolled all the way around the back of the cup before dropping in, causing Woods' knees to buckle. He let out a deep sigh as he walked off the green, only to push his next shot into the thick rough right of the 18th fairway, ruining any shot at having some momentum going into Saturday.

There was little choice except to pitch out onto the fairway. Woods knocked it on the green from there, but didn't get it close. Two putts from 25 feet left him with a bogey and 1 over for the tournament.

Afterward, Woods headed to the practice range to work with coach Sean Foley, getting in some extra swings just before sundown.

''Obviously I'm going to have to put together a really good weekend,'' Woods said. ''This golf course is pretty soft. It's definitely gettable. I've got to hit the ball in play and keep the ball near the hole so I can be aggressive with my putts.''

Maybe he figured out what went wrong.

Hey, there's always next year.

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