[ad_1]
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Gary Woodland thinks his time is finally here.
This week. This major championship. This American openness.
In its first 27 major career championships, Woodland failed to rank in the top 10. In his last four editions he has had two top-10s.
Saturday, when he enters the third round of the American Open at Pebble Beach, he will take a lead of two strokes on Justin Rose at the first start.
This is his second career lead of 36 holes in major.
Woodland, who shot 6 under 65 in Friday's second round, has 9 goals for the tournament, two shots ahead of Rose, winner of the 2013 US Open who shot 70 shots on Friday and under. 7-year-old, three shots ahead of Louis Oosthuizen and four shots ahead of Rory McIlroy and Aaron Wise.
"It's not something you're proud of," Woodland said of the first 27 tournaments in which he was never blamed. "Of all these experiences, you learn. I've already been in this position. Last year in August in Bellerive [in the PGA Championship]and did not go out where I wanted, but I learned a lot.
"I do not have to be perfect with my ball, because I have other things that can cheer me up, this has been a great source of confidence in me for me, knowing that I do not have to be perfect, I can still fight and have a chance to win.
"My short game has arrived. I have always been a very good ball attacker, I have relied on the ball shot of all my career, my athletic ability. But the game runs and the putting m has somehow retained. At PGA last year, I did a lot of putts, especially early in the week.
"Obviously, it was good to finish in the top 10 and get that monkey out of the back."
Rose left Pebble Beach on Friday with the tournament lead – before Woodland left. And yet, he was not near being satisfied.
"I love how fashionable I am," Rose said. "I still do not like the way I cook. I still need more firepower if I'm going to hoist gear over the weekend. "
Indeed, the first 36 holes of Rose at Pebble represented a high class act. It only touched 16 of the 28 fairways and 19 of the 36 greens prescribed by the regulations. These are not numbers that usually translate into high finishes in the United States.
Still, there was Rose at 7-under and the tournament lead when he finished his round, with Woodland and the wave of players remaining in the afternoon playing.
"It's the best thing I've ever seen going back and forth around the golf course for two rounds," said Jordan Spieth, who had a front-row spot for the game, with Rose and Tiger Woods for the first match. two days.
Rose, who won the Farmers Insurance Open in February at Torrey Pines, was the US Open champion in 2013 at Merion and insisted on the importance of joining the club of multiple major champions.
After her round Friday, Rose was questioned about the extent to which a major championship experience could help her this weekend and what it would mean for him to win a second career title.
"J & # 39; hope [experience] count for a lot and I hope that means a lot, "Rose said. "But I have enough experience to know that there is no point in answering the second part of your question now. There is a long way to go.
"Here and St. Andrews would probably be the two most iconic places to raise some money. I could not think of anything better. But if you do not mind, I'll wait a few days [to answer the second question]. ''
Rose knows that the way he hits the ball will probably not be good enough to support him for the next 36 holes. Without his best league record this week, he would probably not be less than five shots off the top of his head.
"My short match has been really strong this week," he said. "I made a lot of putts at 10 feet. I managed my game very well. I missed it in the wrong places. I always gave myself the chance to save something from every hole I played. And I have not made any mistakes yet. "
[ad_2]
Source link