Holmes Is Clubhouse Leader At Oakland Hills
POSTED: 3:19 pm EDT August 8,
2008
Bloomfield Hills Township, MI -- (Sports Network) - J.B. Holmes bogeyed two of his last four holes Friday, but still managed a two-under 68 and got into the clubhouse lead during the second round of the PGA Championship.Holmes finished two rounds at Oakland Hills at one-under 139. Charlie Wi (70), Justin Rose (67) and 2003 British Open champion Ben Curtis (67) are in the clubhouse at even-par 140. The 67s by Rose and Curtis were the lowest rounds of the championship. Overnight co-leader Jeev Milkha Singh is even-par through five holes Friday and is alone in the lead at minus-two. Aaron Baddeley and Sergio Garcia are both one-under for the championship and just started their second rounds. The first round was completed Friday morning after play was suspended for darkness on Thursday. It was a one-hour, 25-minute weather delay on Thursday that set the tournament back, but the second round is in full swing. When the horn sounded Thursday night, Andres Romero was tied for the lead with Singh and Robert Karlsson at minus-two. When Romero came back Friday morning, he bogeyed 18 to fall out of the lead. Sadly, the worst was yet to come for Romero. The Argentine shot an eight-over 78 in round two, including a quadruple-bogey eight at 16 and a double-bogey six at 18, to fall to seven-over-par 147 for the championship. That is currently outside the cut line, but could move since Oakland Hills is not getting easier in the afternoon wind. "It's tough out there," admitted Holmes. Holmes played a great opening nine with two birdies and a bogey. It wasn't until he made the turn that he vaulted up the leaderboard. At the par-five 12th, Holmes chopped his third from the thick rough near the green to three feet. He kicked in that birdie putt and made it two in a row with an eight-footer at the 13th. Holmes made an unlikely birdie at the 501-yard, par-four 14th. From just short of the putting surface, Holmes rolled in a 25-footer for birdie to get to three-under par. Things came undone a bit when Holmes played the final four holes into the wind. At the 15th, he came up short and right with his approach and made bogey. After an errant tee shot, Holmes three-putted from a long distance for another bogey at 17. A par at the last got Holmes in as the only player from the morning wave under par. "I hit some good shots on those holes and made birdie," said Holmes. "After my third birdie, the next four holes were pretty much into the wind right there and I was just trying to make par on those holes. "Glad I got in with that. But I felt I left a few out there." David Toms, the 2001 PGA Champion, and Henrik Stenson (70) finished 36 holes at one-over 141. Phil Mickelson is even early in his round and just off the lead at even-par.
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