Defending champion Retief Goosen of South Africa posted a second-round 66 on Friday to grab a share of the lead alongside Bart Bryant at the $6,5-million US PGA Tour Championship.
Bryant, who opened with a course-record 62 on Thursday, birdied two of his first three holes on Friday.
But Bryant played the remaining holes at even-par to give two-time US Open champion Goosen a chance to play catch-up.
”I started thinking about 62 again, and that will catch up with you,” said a wiser Bryant, who shot a two-under 68 to end the day tied for the halfway lead with Goosen, who signed for a 66.
The pair were at 10-under 130, three shots ahead of world number one Tiger Woods, Ben Crane and Scott Verplank.
South African Tim Clark was another stroke back.
Woods’s swing struggles continued, the US superstar finding only three fairways. He showed his usual solid short game, however, in a 67 that kept the leaders within range.
”I’ve played the par-fives in even par,” he said. ”It’s frustrating, because if I take care of the par-fives, I think I would be at the top of the board.”
Verplank fired a 66 while Crane signed for a 65 to join Woods on 133, while Clark shot 67 for 134.
”At one point I had a five-shot lead,” continued Bryant, who despite two PGA Tour victories, one last year and one this year, does not have a huge amount of experience of playing from the front.
”I’m gaining a lot of valuable experience. It’s unchartered territory for me, having that big a lead early in the tournament, learning how to pace myself, realising I’m not even halfway done, learning how to deal with that, with the emotions.
”It was weird, because it almost felt like the last day of a tournament, and it shouldn’t.”
Bryant helped his own cause with a 30-foot eagle at the par-five 15th.
Goosen didn’t drive the ball particularly well, but his only dropped shot came at the first hole.
”I missed a lot of fairways again today, but I chipped and putted really well, saved a lot of shots,” he said.
”I hit a lot of irons off the tee, just to find the course. I’m working on something and I’m not sure I’m comfortable. It’s a question of trusting your swing, and at the moment I’m not. I’m steering it a bit, and that’s why it’s a bit inconsistent.”
Goosen, though considerably longer than Bryant, was impressed with his fellow competitor.
”The first seven holes he played, he should have been six-under.
He’s very solid off the tee,” Goosen said.
Even though Bryant and Goosen enjoy a nice cushion over the rest of the 29-man field, it is far from a two-horse race, especially with Woods lurking.
While Woods was inconsistent, countering six birdies with three bogeys, if his driver comes around he’s in position to pounce at the weekend.
Crane, meanwhile, matched the day’s best score, doing all of his damage late as he picked up four shots in the final four holes.
”I was making a lot of pars, getting up and down a lot, and then all of a sudden things started happening,” he said.
”I made eagle on 15, followed by a couple of [birdie] bombs and a great up-and-down at the last.” – Sapa-AFP