Tiger Woods has rewritten the record books many times over and in the second round of the PGA Championship, he added another chapter to his fantastic legacy by tying the lowest single round score in a major with a masterful 63, that could have been even lower.
Early in the day, much of the talk was about Scott Verplank and Stephen Ames who finished their rounds at -4 and -3 respectively. However, once Tiger Woods teed off, it was clear that something special was coming. After hitting the middle of the fairway on the first, Tiger began a methodical round that featured incredible ball striking and phenomenal putting which lead to a two shot lead over the rest of the field.
It was a very measured round for Woods today, who hit many irons off the tee to find fairways and some very precise short iron shots that left him with plenty of scoring opportunities. However, it was not just phenomenal ball striking which contributed to his great score, his impressive short game was in full force as well. After finding a plugged lie in the green side bunker at 12, Woods managed to get the shot on the green about thirty feet away. His ensuing putt found the bottom of the cup with perfect speed and line. "That was a big putt after hitting two shots stiff up to 9 and 10 and hit a good one at 11 and then put one in the bunker there and made about a 35-footer there for par. “Just kept the momentum of the round going. And then from there I made a couple more birdies, which was nice," said Woods. Going into the 18th, Woods found himself with a 12 foot putt for birdie. The putt tracked right at the hole, but at the last moment veered to the left and lipped out, just a fraction of an inch from going in and setting a new single round scoring record for a major championship.
Although he doesn’t have the record, Woods takes the 36 hole lead into the weekend’s action which is a very good sign for him since his record is 7-0 in majors when he has the 36 hole lead. Wood said, "Certainly does give you confidence, there’s no doubt. I know what to do. It’s just a matter of going out there and doing it. We’ve got a long way to go. We’re only at the halfway point. A lot of holes to play and I need to continue to do what I’m doing. I know there’s a lot of guys playing well, and hopefully I can play a little bit better." Add onto the fact that all six premious major winners at Southern Hills have also held the 36 hole lead, the odds appear to be stacking in Tiger’s favor.
Playing in the last group on Saturday with Tiger will be Scott Verplank. Verplank held the lead early in the day before Tiger’s run. Verplank is in every way the antithesis of Tiger Woods, not a "power hitter" compared to the other stars on Tour, Verplank relies on his accuracy and shot-making ability to post red numbers. However, one vital trait the two have in common is their competitiveness. Despite struggles with elbow injuries, and diabetes, Verplank refuses to quit. When asked about his round today, Verplank said, "What happened was I got in position where I could actually make a couple of putts. I birdied 9 and hit it close another couple of times."
Without a doubt, the biggest surprise from the first round was John Daly’s resurgence at the top of the leaderboard. Although Daly didn’t experience the traumatic fall many expected, he continued his go-for-broke style of play hitting driver whenever possible and is currently tied for 9th after a round of +3. Although Daly’s round wasn’t as perfect as his the first, he did play very well hitting some very solid iron shots and controlling his distances very well. "The fairways are just so hard to hit," Daly said. "I just kept grinding, grinding, grinding." Without a doubt the highlight of today’s round was Daly’s shot on the 13th hole which found the left trees. Rather than chipping back into the 13th fairway, Daly went to the 17th, leaving himself a shorter iron into the green. His approach shot ended up eight feet away, and although he didn’t make the putt, it was a novel approach for sure which typifies Daly and the way he’s been playing this week.
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