Goosen snatches lead at Pebble Beach
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2009 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am | Round Three | 14 Feb 2009
Retief Goosen may now only be the 42nd ranked player in the world but at this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am he has shown why he was for so long considered one of the game’s better players.
A second round of 64 at his round two venue at Pebble Beach has him a two shot 36 hole leader over last season’s Turning Stone Resort winner, Dustin Johnson.
Goosen has won two lesser events of late in South Africa and in Malaysia but in recent times he has not been the dominant force he was in the earlier 2000’s.
“I’ve been working pretty hard on my fitness in the last, oh, probably eight, nine months – a lot more than normal, said Goosen after his round. “I’ve lost about 16 pounds in weight, a lot fitter and stronger I think than I’ve been for the last couple of years.”
“I also turned 40 last week, so felt a bit depressed about that, but Vijay started playing his best golf when he was turning 40, so hopefully – you keep that in the back of your mind.”
“But I’ve been playing okay in the last couple of months. I’ve won a couple of small events towards the end of last year, and last month I won a smallish event in South Africa. So, I’ve been playing okay. I just need to drive it a little bit better.”
Goosen also indicated that a switch to a new belly putter last week has also helped.
Johnson, who finished 5th in this event last year in his only other time in this event, is in just his second season on the PGA Tour after earning his card late in 2007. He has already displayed the capabilities he possesses and might again this week.
Robert Garrigus, Mark Calccavechia, Mike Weir and Charley Hoffman are in the next group in a share of third.
The best of the Australians is Aron Price who shares 7th position at 7 under, five behind the leader.
Matt Jones, Steve Elkington and Jason Day are 43rd, Greg Chalmers, Steve Allan and Mathew Goggin are at 1 under and in 61st position.
The cut will be made at the completion of tomorrow’s third round before those remaining return to Pebble Beach for Sunday’s final round.
