7:10PM ET
Lee Westwood sits on top of the leaderboard by himself at -5. He looks very focused and all parts of his game are working well. I was standing by Westwood on Tuesday and couldn’t help noticing that he’s in much better shape physically than the last time I was that close in 2010. His back looks muscular.
My dark horse pick Louis Oosthuizen is alone in 2nd at -4.
Favored players who really struggled today included Phil Mickelson (+2) and Tiger Woods (E). None of these favorites seemed to get anything going. Tiger and Phil both suffered from wild driving.
Phil Mickelson had to tighten his driver on the 18th hole. I wonder if his bad driving was attributable to the head being loose? Phil only hit 8 of 18 greens in regulation. His 74 looked much worse than the score would indicate.
Rory McIlory struggled but with a finish of birdie-birdie on the last two holes managed to grind to a round of -1.
The Luke Donald scorecard situation turns out to be a fax machine smear issue. He is not DQ’d. Shot 75.
Bad rounds of the day from players who should be able to compete (not including the old players like Sandy Lyle (+14) include Robert Garrigus (+5), Alvaro Quiros (+6) and Johnson Wagner (+7).
6:00PM ET
Louis Oosthuizen is in the house at -4, the current lead.
Lee Westwood is playing very solid and is at -4 as well after 16 holes.
There are currently only three Americans in the top 10.
Luke Donald turned in a scorecard of +1. The tournament officials are reviewing that because it is thought that he scored a round of +3. Could #1 be disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard?
Phil Mickelson lost a ball on #10. He ended up making triple after barely keeping his provisional in play. He’s at +4 and looks to be a little in shock. Update: he just made birdie on 13 and has it back to +3.
Rory McIlory isn’t really doing much. He’s at +1 and looks a little winded.
4:00PM ET
Tiger Woods had it to -2, but after making bogey on the last two holes he finished at even par. Tiger’s solid driving this season wasn’t there. He hit 6/14 fairways.
The nuttiest round of the day is that of Henrik Stenson. He had it to -6 after making birdie on #11. Coming into 18 he was at -5. He pulled his drive hard left into the trees on 18, then couldn’t quite get it out of the pine straw. It took him SIX shots to get the ball on the putting surface, where he two putted for a snowman. In the last two holes he went from leading at -6 to -1.
Tiger Woods’s playing partner, Miguel Angel Jimenez is in a 5-way tie for the lead now at -3. The other four at -3 are Paul Lawrie, Lee Westwood, Bubba Watson and Francesco Molinari. Molinari and Lawrie have finished but Westwood is through 10 and Watson through 8.
Short hitter Zach Johnson made eagle on the par-5 13th.
The biggest surprise bad ground is that of Johnson Wagner, finished at +7.
Rory McIlory and Phil Mickelson are at even par through eight holes.
1:00PM ET
Mark O’Meara has withdrawn due to an injury. Not sure what it is yet. Bummer.
Henrik Stenson is ON FIRE. He started with an eagle on #2 and now that he has birdied #10 he is at -6 and on top of the leaderbaord.
Paul Lawrie finished at -3.
Tiger Woods is on the course and has finished the front 9 at -1.
Robert Garrigus finished at +5.
HOGWire – Golf Industry News
Food for thought for your next live blog…
They read a lot better if you start with 1:00 PM at the top and finish with 7:10 PM at the bottom. Allowing readers to read straight through the article by scrolling down instead of having to drop the bottom and read up will keep them from getting distracted, like I did. 😉
So jealous of you being there, though. I aspire to do the same some day.
Thanks for the comment. My logic, flawed or other, is that when people tune back in several times over the flow of the tourney that they’re getting the most up to date info at the top of the post.
Thank Tony for up to date info..