Virtual U.S. Open round two: Hogan rises
By Bill Felber
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.
dark. Next. Best Golfers from Every State: Ohio golf and Jack Nicklaus
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