Germany’s Bernhard Langer rolled back the years with a vintage display while American Kenny Perry eked out a one-shot lead in the Players Championship second round on Friday.
Langer sank a monster birdie putt from 60 feet on the treacherous 17th green en route to a sparkling five-under-par 67, ending a gruelling day of gusting winds a stroke behind Perry, who returned a 70.
Perry, seeking his 10th PGA Tour title but his first since the 2005 Colonial tournament, collected three birdies and a lone bogey for a six-under total of 138.
Overnight leader Sergio Garcia surrendered a one-shot cushion by double-bogeying the 17th and had to settle for a tie for second place with Langer and American Paul Goydos (71).
Spaniard Garcia, who hit 14 fairways out of 14 in a superb exhibition of driving, narrowly missed a seven-foot birdie putt at the par-four last to card a 73.
”I’m very proud of my round,” Perry told reporters. ”It was the kind of day where you could shoot a big number in a hurry. I was very patient and drove the ball well again.
”The secret to my round, I putted great,” added the 47-year-old who needed only 24 putts. ”I made a lot of nice four- to eight-footers for par all day today.”
With the wind gusting up to 50km/h late in the afternoon on the sun-baked Stadium Course, Perry could not recall a more difficult test in 19 previous appearances at the tournament.
”It was very tough,” he said. ”Those were probably the hardest conditions in all my years I can ever remember. You never felt quite comfortable with where it was at because it was swirling all day.”
Blistering nine
Langer, who won the last of his three PGA Tour titles at the 1993 US Masters, eagled the par-five second to set up a blistering outward nine of 31 before coming home in level par.
”I probably had the best start to any tournament I’ve played,” said the 50-year-old, who had considered withdrawing at the start of the week because of assorted injuries.
”I was six under after eight [holes] and playing close to perfection. I hit the ball well and putted well, did everything right.”
Although twice Masters champion Langer bogeyed the 18th after missing the green to the right with his approach, he was optimistic about his title hopes.
”If I play it similar to the way I’ve played the last two days, I think there’s a good chance I might win, but it’s very difficult,” said the German, who is making his 23rd appearance in the tournament unofficially dubbed the fifth Major.
”If the conditions are windy, as they are probably going to be, anybody within eight shots of the leader has a chance to win.”
Defending champion Phil Mickelson carded a 73 to lie five strokes off the pace at one under, level with world number four Ernie Els (71) and Britain’s Ian Poulter (74).
Of the other big names, twice US Open winner Retief Goosen was at level par after returning a 71, two ahead of 2004 champion Adam Scott of Australia, also after a 71.
The halfway cut fell at three-over 147 with British Open champion Padraig Harrington and former Major winners Vijay Singh, Zach Johnson and Geoff Ogilvy among those missing out. — Reuters