The four-time champion is one of the few who can handle Winged Foot in second round play
Halfway through the virtual 2020 U.S. Open, a stacked field is poised for a memorable finish.
Of the 11 players ranked as favorites entering the competition, eight occupy spots among the top 10 after the second round. That notably includes the leader, pre-tournament favorite Ben Hogan, who shot 66 Friday at Winged Foot for a two-stroke lead.
Right behind Hagen is Gene Sarazen, whose 69 leaves him at 8-under. Other favorites finding themselves well-positioned for the final chase are Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Alex Smith, all just four strokes behind Hogan; Jim Barnes and Walter Hagen, both five back; and four-time Open champion Bobby Jones, who trails by seven.
There remain, however, a couple of underdogs who have played their way into contention following the second round. The least likely of those may be Tommy Bolt, the fiery 1958 champion. Bolt followed an opening 67 with a 70 Friday and sits at 7-under 137, solo third three shots behind Hogan and two behind Sarazen.
There was no doubt that the big winner Friday was Winged Foot itself. In superb playing conditions, only 28 members of the 79-player field managed to break par, Hogan and Alex Smith posting the best rounds at 6-under. The average score Friday was a very Open-worth 73.22, more than a full stroke above the course’s par of 72.
Hogan started shakily, bogeying two of the first four holes. But he recovered for an even par 36 on the front nine, then turned it on at the difficult 190 yard par 3 10th. A 35-foot putt produced the first of four birdies in a five-hole stretch.
Hogan had to play well because Smith, a two-time Open champion from the game’s formative era, was right on his heels. Starting the day seven strokes out of the lead and trailing more than 30 fellow competitors, the 1906 and 1910 champion stood at even par for the day through 10 holes, Smith birdied the 396-yard par 4 11th to start his rally, eagled the 630 yard 12th with a 52-foot putt, and stopped his tee shot at the 214-yard par 3 13th 18 inches from the hole for a gimme birdie.
Smith followed that with pars at 15 and 16, shaving six strokes off his deficit in as many holes. By the afternoon’s end, only Hogan, Sarazen and Bolt were ahead of him, none by more than four strokes.
Bolt, who opened with a 67, might have ended the day in front but for a weak finish. He was 8-under and tied with Hogan until bogeys at the 15th and 16th dropped him into third place after the second round.
Smith’s 66 tied him with Nicklaus and Woods, both of whom played steady, consistent golf. Jack made six birdies, offset by two bogeys, while Tiger’s six birdies were diminished by four bogeys, two coming on the final three holes.
Woods came to the 467-yard par 5 16th deadlocked with Hogan, but missed the fairway with his drive and left with a bogey while Hogan birdied. At the 449 yard par 4 17th, Woods dumped his approach into a trap and failed to recover while Hogan again birdied, creating the four-stroke gap.
Several of the first-round leaders had it pretty tough Friday. Little Fred McLeod, whose 65 gave him the opening round lead, had to be content with a 76 Friday and fell seven strokes off Hogan’s pace.
Byron Nelson followed his opening 66 with a 74, Johnny Farrell fell from 67 to 74, and Michael Campbell managed only 76, nine strokes worse than his first round 67.
But at least none of them had Jordan Spieth’s disastrous luck. Spieth, who had shot 71 Thursday, suffered through the most miserable day it’s possible for a good player to have on a cyber-course. He opened with double bogeys on the first two holes, made a 7 on the par 5 ninth to finish the front nine in 44, and triple bogeyed the 16th on his way to an immemorable 87.
It dropped him from a tie for 22nd after one round all the way to a tie for 77th – that’s dead last –at the halfway point.
Here are the leaders’ cards for the second round.
Winged Foot    4 4 3  4 5 4   3 4 5  3 4 5  3 4 4  5 4 4 – 72
Hogan                  4 3 4  5 5 3  3 4 5  2 3 5  2 3 4  4 3 4 – 66
Sarazen        4 4 2  3 5 4  3 4 5  3 3 5  3 3 3  5 3 3 – 67
Bolt                       4 3 2  4 6 3  3 4 4  3 4 5  3 4 5  6 4 3 – 70
Nicklaus              3 4 3  3 5 3  4 4 5  2 4 5  4 4 4  5 3 4 – 68
Player                  4 5 2  2 6 4  4 4 6  2 5 5  2 3 4  4 3 4 — 68
A Smith        4 4 2  3 6 3  4 4 6  3 3 3  2 4 3  4 4 4 — 66
Woods                 4 5 2  4 4 4  2 3 4  3 3 5  3 5 4  6 5 4 — 70
Here are the second round scores.
Ben Hogan                         68-66-134
Gene Sarazen                   69-67-136
Gary Player                        70-66-136
Tommy Bolt                       67-70-137
Jack Nicklaus                     70-68-138
Tiger Woods                      68-70-138
Alex Smith                         72-66-138
Jim Barnes                         69-70-139
Walter Hagen                   69-70-139
Willie Macfarlane            69-70-139
Byron Nelson                    66-74-140
Bobby Jones                     72-69-141
Brooks Koepka                 72-71-141
Lee Trevino                       67-74-141
Hale Irwin                           70-71-141
Johnny Farrell                   67-74-141
Graeme McDowell         71-70-141
Fred McLeod                    65-76-141
Arnold Palmer                  70-72-142
Billy Burke                          74-68-142
Gene Littler                       71-71-142
Michael Campbell           67-76-143
Johnny Miller                    68-75-143
James Foulis                      73-70-143
Curtis Strange                   69-74-143
Hubert Green                   75-68-143
Andy North                       71-72-143
Cyril Walker                       69-75-144
Dustin Johnson                74-70-144
George Sargent        76-68-144
David Graham                  70-74-144
Julius Boros                       75-70-145
Tony Manero                    71-74-145
Ed Furgol                            75-70-145
Dick Mayer                        71-75-146
Jerry Pate                           77-69-146
Scott Simpson                  78-68-146
Raymond Floyd                74-72-146
Chick Evans                        75-71-146
Corey Pavin                       72-74-146
Payne Stewart                 71-76-147
Ernie Els                              70-77-147
Rory McIlroy                     71-76-147
Martin Kaymer                 79-68-147
Olin Dutra                           73-74-147
Gary Woodland         74-73-147
Lew Worsham                  71-76-147
Willie Smith                       73-74-147
Willie Anderson         72-75-147
Alec Ross                            76-71-147
Ken Venturi                       72-75-147
Tom Watson                     76-71-147
Lou Graham                      76-72-148
Tommy Armour         73-75-148
Tom Kite                             72-76-148
Billy Casper                        73-75-148
Lawson Little                     73-75-148
Horace Rawlins                75-73-148
Fuzzy Zoeller                     75-73-148
Johnny Goodman           74-74-148
Lee Janzen                         74-75-149
Angel Cabrera                  72-77-149
Lloyd Mangrum        75-74-149
Laurie Auchterlonie       77-72-149
Steve Jones                       76-74-150
Retief Goosen                  76-74-150
Sam Parks Jr.                     78-73-151
Ralph Guldahl                   75-77-152
Geoff Oglivy                      75-77-152
Cary Middlecoff         73-79-152
Jim Furyk                            76-78-154
Jack Fleck                           76-79-155
Larry Nelson                      78-77-155
Webb Simpson                79-77-156
Justin Rose                        80-76-156
Tony Jacklin                       78-80-158
Jordan Spieth                   71-87-158
Lucas Glover                     73-85-158