Northern Trust Open, Round 2
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| Northern Trust Open | ||
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By PGATOUR.COM Staff
MORE WDs (8:45 p.m.): Rocco Mediate and Jesper Parnevik withdrew during the second round, both citing back injuries. Mediate completed nine holes but was 7 over when he packed it in. Parnevik, who is battling sciatica, was 10 over through 16 holes when he called it a day. -- Helen Ross
TWO TIED AT THE TOP (8:20 p.m.): Dustin Johnson has two hole left in his round, but he'll have to wait until Saturday morning to finish them with play suspended due to darkness.
When Johnson does resume his round, he'll do so having seen his bogey-free streak come to an end. Johnson, who hadn't made a bogey all week, came up short on his approach to the 15th green, then couldn't get it up-and-down to save par, missing a 13-footer.
That dropped Johnson into a tie for the lead with Steve Stricker, who shot a 65 in the morning wave. On the upside for the long-hitting Johnson, he'll resume play on the par-5 17th, a hole he birdied yesterday.
As for Saturday, the rain is expected to continue through tonight and all day tomorrow. The good news is there's no severe weather in the area (i.e. lightning or heavy wind). The bad news is Saturday will be another long, wet day. -- Brian Wacker
PLAY SUSPENDED (8:02 p.m.): With darkness descending on an already dreary Riviera Country Club, play in the second round was suspended at 5:02 p.m. local time. The second round will resume at 7:30 a.m. local time Saturday. -- Brian Wacker
THE FINALLY TALLY ON NO. 10 (7:45 p.m.): Conditions at Riviera are so difficult that half as many players went for the green on the drivable par-4 10th hole today as yesterday. Only one -- Anthony Kim -- hit the green. Only two have hit it from the tee all week (Matt Kuchar was the other). Kim made one of just 26 birdies on the hole Friday (compared to 74 pars, 24 bogeys, five double bogeys and a stroke average of 4.085). See below for a comparison between the first and second rounds on the hole. -- Brian Wacker
| Round-by-round comparison: No. 10 at Riviera | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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CUT CHECK (7:30 p.m.): The cut line has moved to 2 over at Riviera. That's good news for guys like Padraig Harrington and Angel Cabrera, both of whom are at 2 over and were previously outside the number earlier in the day. -- Brian Wacker
SECOND ROUND MARCHES ON (6:58 p.m.): The second round marches on here at Riviera, where Dustin Johnson is still in the lead -- he's made five-straight pars since the hole-in-one on No. 6. That included a terrific par save on the par-4 10th, where Johnson tried to drive the green, came up short and right, found the bunker on his second and got up-and-down for par.
The cut line, meanwhile, is still at 1 over, leaving a number of notable players on the outside. None of them is more notable than Padraig Harrington, who is 1 over through 12 holes today and 2 over for the week. Vijay Singh, Mike Weir and Adam Scott also look to be headed home (Weir ad Scott for sure; Singh is still on the course). -- Brian Wacker
TOUGH CONDITIONS (6:12 p.m.): Only 19 players have tried to drive the green at the par-4 10th hole. One of them was Dustin Johnson, who ranked third on the PGA TOUR in driving distance last season. Not even Johnson could get there, though, as he came up short and to the right, leaving a near-impossible second shot. So far, Anthony Kim is the only player to have successfully reached the green on the drivable par-4. -- Brian Wacker
JOHNSON MAKES THE TURN (6:05 p.m.): How good has Dustin Johnson been? Well, he still hasn't made a bogey this week. He also has two birdies and an ace through nince holes today. That has him at 4 under and in the lead by a stroke over Steve Stricker.
Johnson has hit just three fairways today, but his iron play has been spot on with six greens in regulation and just 11 putts, which includes five one-putts and that one very big no-putt. Click here to follow his round live with Shot Tracker. -- Brian Wacker
COUCH OUT (5:40 p.m.): Chris Couch has withdrawn from the Northern Trust Open due to a shoulder injury. He shot a first-round 74 and had played six holes in the second, making a double bogey, two bogeys and a par. -- Helen Ross
ANALYZING PHIL (5:20 p.m.): One big reason why Phil Mickelson was able to shoot 66 to get back into contention today: He took six fewer putts than yesterday and he also played the par-3s in 3 under.
Mickelson told GOLF CHANNEL that he had a good conversation with Butch Harmon last night and the last bit of fine-tuning he made in his game seemed to get things clicking. Mickelson also said he has a similar feeling to the one he had at last year's TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP presented by Coca-Cola when he opened with a 73 before shooting 67-66-65 to win. Obviously if he does that here this week, he'll be in good shape to win for a fourth time in L.A. -- Brian Wacker
ACES UP (5:10 p.m.): Dustin Johnson fell out of the lead when Steve Stricker shot a 65 to get to 10 under for the week. That lasted until Johnson played the 152-yard sixth hole, where he made a hole-in-one with a 8-iron. The shot landed just past the pin and spun back into the hole. -- Brian Wacker
| Aces in 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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NO UMBRELLA, NO PROBLEM (5:05 p.m.): Show me a caddie who doesn't keep his boss dry under an umbrella during a rainy afternoon on the golf course, and I'll show you a guy headed for the unemployment line. That wasn't the case for Ernie Els' man. Els chose to go without an umbrella -- and sometimes a hat -- on the back nine.
"I just thought you're going to get wet. I've got a good rain suit," said Els, who shot a 1-under 70 and is tied for 11th at the moment. -- Brian Wacker
FROM THE INTERVIEW ROOM (4:53 p.m.): In a word, last season was "disappointing" to Anthony Kim. And by all accounts it was with a myriad of injuries and at one point a total lack of confidence.
Now? After a 66 Kim is feeling good about his chances here and his season.
"I want a positive attitude, get out here and work as hard as I can," said Kim, who was already at the golf course getting after it at 6:30 this morning. "I'm going to win golf tournaments, it's just a matter if I get a couple breaks to go my way." -- Brian Wacker
CUT CHECK (4:30 p.m.): The cut line is currently at 1 over, up a stroke from even par earlier in the day. That's good news for guys like Stewart Cink, Padraig Harrington, Davis Love III and Charles Howell III, all of whom are flirting with the number at even or 1 over at the moment.
Others not so fortunate include Bubba Watson, Ryan Moore, Rickie Fowler and Adam Scott. -- Brian Wacker
STRONG FINISHES (3:30 p.m.): A day after bogeying four of his last seven holes, Phil Mickelson birdied three of his final six holes on his way to shooting a 5-under 65. That gets Mickelson to 4 under for the lead and within a half-dozen strokes of the current lead.
That lead is held by Steve Stricker, who looks like he's playing the best golf of his career right now. He also shot 65 today and is 10 under for the week after a seven-birdie, one-bogey day that included just 22 putts.
Anthony Kim also went low, shooting a 66 to move into a tie for sixth at the moment. -- Brian Wacker
Below is a look at Stricker's scorecard from today. Click here to replay his round with Shot Tracker.
Below is a look at Mickelson's scorecard from today. Click here to replay his round with Shot Tracker.
Below is a look at Kim's scorecard from today. Click here to replay his round with Shot Tracker.
10TH HOLE UPDATE (3:05 p.m.): Anthony Kim is still the only player to drive the green on the par-4 10th hole, though fewer players seem to be going for it today given the weather conditions. The only other players to come close to hitting it were Aaron Baddeley, who came up just short, and Fredrik Jacobson, who found the right greenside bunker. (As of now, only 15 out of 75 players have attempted it.)
The hole is also playing slightly more difficult today -- those going for it are averaging right at par, while those laying up are averaging 4.13. In all, there have been 15 birdies, 14 bogeys and three double bogeys. -- Brian Wacker
A.K. BETTER THAN O.K. (2:38 p.m.): Steve Stricker is in the lead by himself at 9 under for the week after playing his first 15 holes in 5 under today, but he's got some company in Anthony Kim, who is also 5 under today.
Kim opened his round on the back nine here at Riviera, making birdies on No. 10 -- where he drove the green -- and No. 11. He's made a few bogeys since then, but he's also made six birdies.
Kim has also made some changes off the course, slimming down his entourage and changing caddies. On the bag this year is Brody Flanders, who was a teammate and roommate of Kim's at the University of Oklahoma and who caddied for him late in 2009.
Is this a new A.K. we're seeing? Time will tell.
"I felt like every move I made in 2009 wasn't the right one," Kim said. "Looking back on those things, I'll be able to reach back and learn from those mistakes that I made last year and definitely use that to my advantage this year." -- Brian Wacker
MICKELSON UPDATE (2:15 p.m.): Phil Mickelson visited the interview room on Wednesday. But the two-time defending champion just got an up-close-and-personal view of the outside of the media tent that sits between the first and second fairways.
Mickelson hit his tee shot on the par-4 second to the right off the tee and the ball sailed over the trees, landing behind a power box on the outside of the sprawling white press tent. He took a drop and then hit his second shot back over the trees, just short of the green, chipped on and two-putted for the bogey.
The media center has plexiglass windows on either side, so Mickelson's predicament came under close scrutiny. The point must be made, though, that with the exception of only one or two reporters -- the rest of us stayed inside and stayed dry as Mickelson ducked out from under his black-and-white Callaway umbrella to hit the shot.
Even with the bogey, though, Mickelson has made progress. He's 2 under through 11 holes and 1 under for the tournament, climbing 48 spots on the leaderboard as he attempts to become the first person to win the Northern Trust Open three straight years. -- Helen Ross
WEATHER UPDATE (1:55 p.m.): How difficult has a steady diet of rain made Riviera today? About two strokes more difficult. Not surprisingly, the 475-yard 18th is the hardest hole on the golf course right now, having yielded just one birdie while playing more than a half-stroke over par. See the chart below for a break down. -- Brian Wacker
| Riviera Country Club - Scoring averages | ||||||||||||
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STRICKER ON TOP (1:26 p.m.): Your new leader: Steve Stricker, who is proving that it apparently doesn't matter where you practice. Stricker had been at home in chilly Wisconsin since finishing third at the Sony Open in Hawaii, but is in a tie for the lead here at 3 under through 11 holes and 7 under for the week.
As for practicing in less-than-ideal conditions back in Wisconsin? Stricker hits from a heated hitting bay, which is apparently all he needs this time of year.
"It's just to keep loose," Stricker said earlier this week. "I've got mirrors that I can look at so I can work on positions every now and then. But it's mainly just to get my timing and stay loose and continue to hang onto the club. I think the biggest thing that you can do is just to pick up a club every day and swing it." -- Brian Wacker
MICKELSON AT THE TURN (1:06 p.m.): What do you think Phil Mickelson would give to have played the last four holes at Riviera the way he did today? Starting on the back nine, Mickelson opened with three birdies and a bogey in his first five holes. He followed that with four-straight pars to turn in 34.
That's a much better stretch than yesterday when Mickelson bogeyed three of the final four holes at Riviera. If he can put up a couple of birdies on the front nine -- something he did yesterday -- he should be just fine, especially with the rain continuing to fall steadily through the day. Conditions are only going to get tougher in the afternoon. -- Brian Wacker
YOU TWEET, WE ANSWER (12:45 p.m.): "What is Ishikawa's U.S. schedule plan?" -- thenaken
As of now, Ryo Ishikawa is in the field for next week's AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am courtesy of a Commissioner exemption. At No. 31 in the Official World Golf Rankings, he also qualifies for the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship in two weeks and the World Golf Championships-CA Championship at the end of the month. Ishikawa has a sponsor's exemption into the field at the Transitions Championship in March and will be back for the Masters.
THE YOUNG AND OLD (12:35 p.m.): If Dustin Johnson goes on to win the Northern Trust Open, he'd become the tournament's youngest winner since Pat Fitzsimmons in 1975 (Adam Scott would've been, except the 2005 tournament was shortened to 36 holes due to weather, therefore it's not an official win).
The flip side of that? Fred Couples, who at 50 years old is in contention yet again. Couples is 2 under through seven holes today and 4 under for the week, just three strokes back of Johnson.
Couples has played this tournament 27 times and has 13 top-10 finishes, including a pair of wins, three runner-up finishes and a tie for third last year. In other words, the beat goes on in L.A. for Couples. -- Brian Wacker
STADLER STRUGGLING (12:20 p.m.): It's been a tale of two very different rounds for Kevin Stadler. Yesterday, he led the field in greens in regulation, hitting 16 of them on his way to a 6-under 65. Today, Stadler is already 2 over through his first four holes, having hit just half his greens in regulation.
Stadler, who has shot in the 60s in seven of his last eight rounds on the PGA TOUR, is trying to match Bill Haas' win at the Bob Hope Classic, where Bill's father, Jay, won earlier in his career. Kevin's dad, Craig, won this tournament in 1996. Little Stadler's best finish in 2009 was a playoff loss to Ryan Moore at the Wyndham Championship. -- Brian Wacker
MICKELSON UPDATE (12:05 p.m.): Phil Mickelson has some ground to make up after faltering late in his round yesterday. He's doing a pretty good job of it with three birdies in his first five holes. Mickelson does have a bogey on the card, but he is putting better, having taken just six putts so far, two of which came from outside 10 feet. You can follow Mickelson live with Shot Tracker by clicking here. -- Brian Wacker
THE 10TH HOLE UPDATE (11:57 a.m.): Yesterday, only one player -- Matt Kuchar -- out of 44 successfully drove the green on the 303-yard par-4 10th hole. Still, it was worth going for it since those who did had a collective scoring average of 3.80. Those who didn't had an average of 4.05.
It's early in today's round, but just one player -- Anthony Kim -- out of eight has hit the green in one. The scoring average for those going for it: par. Those laying up: 4.4.
It will be interesting to see what sort of effect the rain has on the number of players who go for it today and their success rate. -- Brian Wacker
INSTRUCTOR'S CORNER (11:50 a.m.): When looking at the players atop the leaderboard versus the bottom, the stat that shines most is greens in regulation. Miss a green, and the strokes can add up in a quick way. As we know, Riviera holds many challenges, but one that is often overlooked is the kikuyograss rough surrounding the fairways and greens. This thatch-like grass makes life around the greens a nightmare. Watch the players learn from their mistakes by placing premium on avoiding the greenside rough. When we find ourselves with a nasty lie in the greenside rough, we need to make sure we have a steep angle of approach into the ball. -- Steve Voguit
ROUND 2 UNDER WAY (11:45 a.m.): They're playing golf at Riviera Country Club, but the rain has already started and, at least according to the forecast, it is supposed to continue all the way through today and tomorrow. The good news is that there aren't any severe weather alerts, just what looks like a good amount of rain (an inch or two).
As for the players currently on the course, Michael Allen's name is again on the first page of the leaderboard. His decision to play about three times as many PGA TOUR events as Champions Tour events seems to be paying off so far. Allen has finished in the top 25 in both of his TOUR starts, including a tie for fifth in San Diego last week, and he is within three of the current lead at 2 under on his round through seven holes today.
Overnight leader Dustin Johnson, meanwhile, won't tee off until 3:14 p.m. ET -- provided there aren't any delays. -- Brian Wacker
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