Woods leads Pampling by one at AT&T
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2009 AT&T National | Round Two | 04 Jul 2009
Tiger Woods has the lead at the halfway mark of the AT&T National event at the Congressional Country Club in Maryland, adding a second round of 66 to his opening round of 64 and, in the process, establishing a one shot lead over Rod Pampling.
First round leader and defending champion, Anthony Kim, is one shot further back at 8 under while another of the pre tournament favourites, Jim Furyk is alone in 4th position at 7 under.
“I didn’t drive the ball as well as I did yesterday or hit my irons as crisp,” said Woods after his round. “Either I hit it pretty close to the hole, within 10 feet, or I was missing greens. So it was a little bit of two ends today.”
“It was nice to actually get a score out of it. I didn’t shoot myself in the foot and had a stretch there from basically 17 through 3 where I didn’t really hit the ball all that well but somehow was able to get through it and keep the momentum of the round going.”
Pampling finished third in this event last year after a final round of 65. Today he was again very impressive on one of the better layouts the PGA Tour plays all year. It has not been a great year to date in 2009 for the Queenslander but he has created a great opportunity for not only a big week in this event but the possibility of a start at the Open Championship.
Pampling does not have a start at Turnberry at this stage but if he was to finish as the leading player inside the top five this week not otherwise exempt he could be on a flight to Scotland late next week.
Stuart Appleby does, however, have a start at the Open Championship but the way he has been playing in 2009, until this week at least, gave little hope for anything other than an appearance at Turnberry. He seems to have re-discovered some of his capabilities at the Congressional Country Club however and finds himself in a share of 8th position at 5 under.
Also at 5 under is the rising New Zealand star Danny Lee. Lee has struggled in recent starts but he seems to have found a secret to his putting this week and is well positioned in a share of 8th position. Lee is currently entered to play next week’s Scottish Open as his immediate US campaign comes to an end.
Of the other Australasians, Steve Elkington and James Nitties are 29th, Aaron Baddeley and Peter Lonard 39th, John Senden, Marc Leishman and Nick O’Hern 48th and Nathan Green 63rd.
