• US PGA Championship, Round Two

Westwood surges, Rory survives as Tiger suffers

ESPN staff
August 12, 2011
Rory McIlroy showed some discomfort throughout his round © PA Photos
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Rory McIlroy showed great determination and resolve to make the cut at the US PGA Championship on Friday, despite still being affected by the right wrist injury he picked up on the first day.

A three-over par round of 73 was a solid effort considering the circumstances, which saw the US Open champion occasionally nurse his heavily strapped hand. That score left him three-over for the tournament, still some way adrift of the early leaders.

Jason Dufner was the clubhouse leader at five-under, the American carding a fine round of 65 to move seamlessly through the field.

An eagle at the fifth was key to Dufner's round, who had five birdies elsewhere in his round in what was an impressive display of golf on what was another tough day in Georgia. Compatriot Keegan Bradley later joined him at the mark, the 27-year-old coming in with a 64 - the low round of the day - to put hand himself a late tee time for Saturday.

They were helped by a poor round for early front-runner Steve Stricker, who followed his opening 63 with a less impressive 74 to slip back to three-under. Jerry Kelly also struggled, as he slipped back to two-under after a round of 73.

Last week's winner Adam Scott had the chance to join that pair after a fine round of golf put him in position at four-under coming up the last - but a double-bogey, caused by a misjudged lay-up that found water, eventually sent him back to two-under for the tournament.

Earlier in the day, McIlroy had showed great guts with his round. The 22-year-old had managed to nurse himself home in level-par on Thursday, after spraining a tendon in his wrist after an ill-advised shot on the third hole. He returned early on Friday with heavy strapping on the injury, but resolved to play through the pain as he continued his bid to claim his second major of 2011.

His start offered little cause for confidence, as he missed a short putt to bogey his opening hole (the tenth), but he quickly got that shot back with a nice putt from just off the green at the par-five 12th. Indeed, another birdie at the 16th (after a monster putt) soon put him under par for the tournament - although that was to prove very short lived.

McIlroy soon found water after a poor connection at the par-three 17th, and then compounded the error as he pulled another short putt wide of the cup, eventually recording a triple bogey six. Entering his back nine, the third would again come to haunt him - this time after he failed to extricate himself from a greenside bunker, a mistake that led to another bogey.

At three-over for the tournament with six holes still to play, the Northern Irishman was in danger of missing the cut if he leaked any further shots. A birdie at the sixth gave him some breathing space, although another underwhelming bunker shot at his penultimate hole dropped him back into trouble.

But, after a fine tee shot at his final hole and safe approach, McIlroy was able to make his par at the last and ensure he will be involved at the weekend - fitness permitting, of course.

In McIlroy's absence Lee Westwood kept alive the hopes of a 'Chubby Slam', as he made six birdies to offset four bogeys on the way to a round of 68, enough to put him well in the hunt at one-under.

Westwood was deadly with some of his iron shots on his back nine, although he will still hope to get more out of his putting over the final two rounds of the tournament.

Adam Scott played well until a mental error at the 18th © Getty Images
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Tiger Woods had another torrid day, as his chances of making the cut were practically extinguished after a bogey at the par-five sixth.

Indeed, considering some of the terrible golf he played on the 11th and 12th - where he followed one double-bogey (water-assisted) with another (simply through poor shots) - it was a wonder that he didn't approach Thursday's total on 77. Woods had no putting touch to speak of and continued his unwelcome habit of finding many of the course's bunkers, with it looking on more than one occasion like the whole thing might be about to completely fall apart.

Instead, he found four other birdies to at least bring some respectability to his scorecard, eventually carding a 73 after finding water again with an ambitious shot at the last that nevertheless saw him miss the cut comfortably at 10-over. It brought with it another career grand slam - the first time he has missed the cut at the US PGA to join with his three others in majors, one each at the US Open, Open and Masters.

One player to go better than Westwood was American DA Points, who managed to manufacture a round of 67 to put him four-under for the tournament and firmly in contention. Scott Verplank, Jim Furyk and John Senden eventually joined him at that number.

Elsewhere, Anders Hansen and Jhonattan Vegas were two of the other early clubhouse contenders after round two - with the Dane following his 68 on Thursday with a 69 to sit three-under for the tournament, while Vegas carded a 68 to bring him into the top ten at two-under.

Simon Dyson and Trever Immelman are a number of players at level par for the tournament. Sergio Garcia will be looking to make a move on Sunday after a round of 69 brought him back to one-over for the tournament, alongside Swedes Robert Karlsson and Johan Edfors. World No. 1 Luke Donald also failed to stay below par - missing a short putt at the last to finish with a 71.

All three are one ahead of Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, who missed a short putt at his final hole to add a second round of 71. He was joined at two-over by the likes of Ian Poulter and Matteo Manassero.

Rickie Fowler should also be involved in the weekend - the American firing a 69 to bring himself back from the brink after opening with a 74. He sits three-over alongside Pablo Larrazabal.

The tournament is almost certainly over for some players, however, with Dustin Johnson a notable casualty after he finished seven-over for the tournament. Fellow American Brandt Snedeker also finished at that mark - meaning he qould come to rue the two-shot penalty he received at the start of his round for being two minutes and 15 seconds late for his tee time.

Darren Clarke is another whose race is certainly run, the Open champion following Thursday's 78 with a marginally-superior 76 - nevertheless leaving him near the foot of the leaderboard at 14-over.

Justin Rose, Anthony Kim and defending champion Martin Kaymer all sat five-over after 36 holes - ensuring they missed the cut by just a single shot.

Jason Day, Justin Rose, Geoff Ogilvy and Louis Oosthuizen were among other notable names to fail to go the distance.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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