USPGA 2012 blog: Friday
Paul Mahoney reports from the USPGA Championship 2012
Tiger Woods can putt again (OK, just ignore that three-putt at the 18th).
It's
a simple enough statement but it's the reason he's sitting on top of
the pile going into the weekend.
He's joint leader at four under par
with Carl Pettersson and old adversary Vijay Singh. Woods drained five
single putts in a row in his first five holes
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
in a total of just 26 that included 11 one-putts.
His 48 putts through
two rounds leads the field.
What
else is working? His wedge has been wobbly all year. Yesterday he only
hit nine greens in regulation (and only 10 fairways) but he got up and
down
eight times out of nine. The air-punch is back.
The finger point made a
welcome return, too, as his 45-foot birdie putt at the 4th
disappeared below ground. You know and his rivals now that Woods
starting to think during the back nine yesterday that he could win the
Wanamaker Trophy.
Need an omen? His ball did a BMX 360 twirl around the
hole before dropping in - not once but twice.
Only
10 players are under par as the Ocean Course, not the alligators or
mosquitos, bit back. A gusting 30mph hooley caused havoc.
"If
you
had a golf course like this and asked me to go and play golf in windy
conditions, I'd say no," said Singh. "But it is a major and we have to
go out there and just struggle the best you can."
The average score in
the first round was just worse than one over
par at 73.33. By the end of Twister Friday, it was a six over 78.
Carnage.
Pub
quiz knowledge: Doug Wade, a 33-year-old club pro from Ohio shot a 21
over par 93, the championship's worst total since the 94 by Tom Dolby in
2002 and Gary Campbell
in 1977. Wade's 36-hole total was 32 over par.