Morning field make their move at Masters
BY Bruce Young | Australasian PGA Tour | 2009 Australian Masters | Round Two | 13 Nov 2009
The morning field on day two of the JBWere Masters had conditions to suit with just gentle breezes and warm conditions throughout. Several of the early starters made moves towards the overnight leaders and by the time they had completed their rounds, one was in front.
American golfer Jason Dufner defied the common held theory that it takes time to adjust to the subtleties of sandbelt golf when he produced a second round of 67 to lead the JBWere Masters at the completion of his second round today.
Dufner is playing in the sandbelt region for the first time this week although he has played the Jacobs Creek Open on four occasions when a Nationwide Tour member, that event played at the Kooyonga Golf Club in Adelaide in conditions not totally dissimilar to this.
32-year-old Dufner played in the morning field on day two and took advantage of the good scoring conditions. The breeze was a little more apparent than had been the case yesterday but there was little excuse for those unable to produce a good store. The greens began to firm up towards the end of the morning round but the morning had provided those out early the chance to get back into the tournament.
Dufner returned to full status on the USPGA Tour this year after regaining his card at the Tour School late in 2008 and had had by far his best year in professional golf. His earning at the completion of his season were US$2,190,000 thanks to six top ten finishes and a run that carried him right through to the Tour Championship.
A two time winner on the Nationwide Tour, Dufner has played on the PGA Tour for the last three years clinging on to sometimes limited status until regaining his card at the Tour School at the end of 2008. This year he has stepped up a level and the results speak for themselves.
Ashley Hall was another to make his move on day two. Hall added a second consecutive round of 69 and at 6 under was in a share of second position with Manuel Villegas, Mathew Goggin and the three first round leaders who were still to hit off on day two.
Hall won in just his third event as a professional back in 2007 when successful at the Victorian PGA Championship and earlier this year made it a State double when he took out the Victorian Open at the nearby Spring Valley Golf Club. They were important in his career but by far his most significant performance was in the One Asia event at the Volvo China Open where he defied a potential ban by the Asian Tour and played the event. He finished third and earned A$155,000.
The ban on playing the Asian Tour was threatened due to the standoff between the Asian Tour and the fledgling One Asia Tour and was imposed but then lessened at a later time. “In the end it mattered little as I had only very limited status on that Tour,” said Hall, seemingly still a little peeved at the circumstances that led him to being placed in that position.
Hall was married only two months ago to Tara Street and they enjoyed their honeymoon in Thailand on their way back from the Dunhill Links Championship.
Manny Villegas is the brother of the well performed Camilo and is probably getting a little sick of being referred to as ’the brother of’. Villegas is here because he is under the management of IMG who also manage Camilo. IMG own this event and so the invitation is not hard to understand.
“I love this golf course, the firm fast greens and that you have to think you way around make it a very good golf course.”
“This year I have played in on the Hooters Tour, and have played an event on the PGA Tour in Puerto Rico, the Japan Golf Tour, a couple on the Challenge Tour in Europe and just trying to play as much and as often as I can, said Villegas when asked where he had been playing. “I missed out at the first stage of the PGA Tour School recently.”
Goggin was bogey free in his round of 70 to be at 6 under and could potentially be a contender on Sunday afternoon. He will need to improve his performance on the greens however as today he had 32 putts after hitting all but two of his greens.
Goggin shared the lead with just three to play at the Open Championship this year before finishing fifth, by far the best performance by an Australian in a major in 2009. That alone makes him a serious consideration this week.
As Tiger Woods approached the first tee to begin his second round, Dufner had the lead by one but the conditions remained good enough for those just behind and with afternoon tee times to chase him down.
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