GOLF ROUNDUP : 66 leaves Crenshaw atop Senior Players field
Posted on Saturday, October 11, 2008
TIMONIUM, Md. — Ben Crenshaw didn’t just turn back the clock at the Senior Players Championship. He ripped 13 years off the calendar and floated back to 1995.
Crenshaw found his long-lost golf game Friday, shooting a 4-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead over Fred Funk at the midway point of the Champion Tour’s final major tournament of the year.
Crenshaw made four birdies on back nine, sinking long-range putts on Nos. 11 and 17 on the East Course at the Baltimore Country Club. He hit 12 of 14 fairways, only once landed in a bunker and never three-putted in finishing the second round at 7-under 133.
This, from a player who hasn’t won a tournament since capturing the Masters for a second time in 1995. That also was the last time he led after 36 holes.
“There’s not much explanation for it,” said Crenshaw, whose 66 was his lowest round in a major since he carded the same score in the third round of the 2006 U. S. Senior Open.
“It felt wonderful playing out there today,” the 56-yearold Texan said. “I’m just trying to keep my rhythm going. I’ve hit some nice shots. I can’t hit the ball hard anymore, so that’s out the window. I might as well just have a nice rhythm and hit it solid, try to get my way around it.” Funk, who grew up in Maryland, shot a 68 in an up-anddown round that included five birdies and three bogeys.
“Today was a mixed bag,” said Funk, who three-putted from the fringe on No. 13 before sinking a 20-foot birdie putt on 14.
After parring the final four holes, including a satisfying comebacker on 18, Funk was delighted at the prospect of playing with Crenshaw in the final threesome today.
“Ben’s a great guy. If I don’t win, I’d like to see Ben win,” Funk said. “But I want to beat him.... It would be fantastic to win here.” Gene Jones shot a 66 to finish at 5 under, tied with Tom Jenkins, who carded a 68. Nick Price (66 ) and Mark O’Meara (67 ) were among four players at 4 under.
Crenshaw came into the tournament with only one top-10 finish in 2008 and ranked 48 th on the money list. He failed to make the cut at the U. S. Senior Open and tied for 52 nd at the JELDWEN Tradition, the only two majors he participated in this season before this one.
After making his mark on the PGA Tour, Crenshaw admittedly has not worked nearly as hard as a member of the Champions Tour. That, to a large degree, explains why he has finished in the top three only three times in 126 tournaments since signing up in 2002.
“I haven’t been playing a lot. I’ve spent some time at home,” he said. “My eldest girl just turned 21 last weekend. Still got three girls at the house, young girls, 16 and 10, so our hands are full there. But I’m not making any excuses. I’m doing exactly what I want to do.” Golf is no longer his life, but that doesn’t mean the 1999 Ryder Cup captain can’t still play well. His lone bogey Friday came after he hit into the bunker on No. 8, but he rebounded with a sizzling back nine in which he holed birdie putts of 25, 21, 15 and 10 feet. “It’s kind of unexplainable for me. I’ve been anything but predictable over my career,” Crenshaw said. “Sometimes I don’t know when I’m going to play well, and a lot of times I don’t know when I’m going to play poorly, either. That’s not a great certainty, is it ?” There is no telling how he will fare over the final 36 holes, but for now Ben Crenshaw is in front at the halfway point of a major tournament. “To win anything would be nice because I’ve got a goose egg in my column on the Champions Tour,” he said. “I’ve been close a few times, but not near enough.” PGA Stroud leads Texas Open SAN ANTONIO — Chris Stroud, a two-time All-America selection and four-time Southland Conference Player of the Year at Lamar in Beaumont, Texas, shot a 6-under-par 64 for a 10-under 130 and a two-stroke lead over Paul Goydos (66 ), Tim Petrovic (65 ) and 1997 winner Tim Herron (67 ) after the second round of the Texas Open. Tag Ridings (Arkansas Razorbacks ) shot a par 70 with three birdies, a bogey and a double bogey for a 4-under 136. The cutoff score was 139. Ron Whittaker (Little Rock ) shot a 1-under 69 with four birdies and three bogeys for a par 140. Richard Johnson (Fort Smith ) shot a 69 with three birdies and two bogeys for a 140. Brenden Pappas (Razorbacks ) shot a 1-over 71 with four birdies, a bogey and two double bogeys for a 1-over 141.
LPGA In-Kyung Kim leads DANVILLE, Calif. — South Korea’s In-Kyung Kim, winless in two seasons on the LPGA Tour, shot a 3-under-par 69 for an 8-under 136 and a one-stroke lead over Mollie Fankhauser (68 ) in the Longs Drugs Challenge. Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa, a seven-time winner this season who lost a playoff to Suzann Pettersen last year in this tournament, shot a 70 and was two shots behind. Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks ) shot a 2-over 74 with three birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey for a 1-over 145 and made the cut. PGA EUROPEAN Two share lead MADRID, Spain — Overcoming illness and a sore shoulder, South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel shot a 7-under-par 64 and Australia’s Marcus Fraser shot a 66 for a 9-under 133 and a two-stroke lead over England’s Robert Rock (65 ) and Sweden’s Steven Jeppesen (67 ) at the Madrid Masters.
NATIONWIDE Leishman leads by three MIDLAND, Texas — Marc Leishman shot a 6-under-par 66 for an 11-under 133 and a threestroke lead over Michael Boyd (67 ), Brendon Todd (68 ), Tom Gilles (70 ) and Spencer Levin (70 ) at the WNB Golf Classic.
Scott Gardiner (Farmington ) shot a par 72 with four birdies and two double bogeys for a 1-over 145, missing the cut a stroke. Bryce Molder (Conway ) shot a 2-under 70 with four birdies and two bogeys for a 2-over 146. Leaderboard CHAMPIONS TOUR Constellation Energy Players Championship At Baltimore Country Club East Course Timonium, Md. Ben Crenshaw........................... 67-66—133 Fred Funk.................................. 66-68—134 Gene Jones............................... 69-66—135 Tom Jenkins.............................. 67-68—135 Mark O’Meara........................... 69-67—136 John Morse............................... 68-68—136 Bernhard Langer....................... 66-70—136 Nick Price.................................. 70-66—136 PGA TOUR Texas Open At LaCantera Golf Club, Resort Course San Antonio Chris Stroud.............................. 66-64—130 Paul Goydos.............................. 66-66—132 Tim Petrovic.............................. 67-65—132 Tim Herron................................ 65-67—132 ARKANSANS Tag Ridings............................... 66-70—136 x-Ron Whittaker........................ 71-69—140 x-Richard Johnson................... 71-69—140 x-Brenden Pappas..................... 70-71—141 x-Missed cut LPGA TOUR Longs Drugs Challenge Blackhawk Country Club Danville, Calif. In-Kyung Kim............................ 67-69—136 Mollie Fankhauser..................... 69-68—137 Lorena Ochoa............................ 70-68—138 Angela Stanford........................ 70-69—139 PGA EUROPEAN TOUR Madrid Masters At Club de Campo Villa de Madrid Course Madrid, Spain Marcus Fraser........................... 67-66—133 Charl Schwartzel....................... 69-64—133 Steven Jeppesen....................... 68-67—135 Robert Rock.............................. 70-65—135 NATIONWIDE TOUR WNB Golf Classic At Midland Country Club Midland, Texas Marc Leishman......................... 67-66—133 Brendon Todd........................... 68-68—136 Tom Gillis.................................. 66-70—136 Spencer Levin........................... 66-70—136 Michael Boyd............................ 69-67—136 ARKANSANS x-Scott Gardiner........................ 73-72—145 x-Bryce Molder......................... 76-70—146 x-Missed cut Complete scores, 11 C
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