Swing tweaks pay off for Sabbatini
IN: News | US PGA | Bridgestone Invitational (2007) | Round Two | by Fred Norks | 04 Aug 2007
South African Rory Sabbatini has fired a three under 67 for the second consecutive day to head the morning field on day two of the US$8 million WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio.
31-year-old Sabbatini, who is currently ranked sixteenth in the world, was confident of his chances on Sunday with the course getting tougher by the day as the summer heat dries out the course.
“The course is only going to get tougher. We’ve been very fortunate that we really haven’t had any wind. If there’s wind on this golf course, it’s going to become almost impossible to play because as it is right now. If you hit the ball in the fairway on a couple holes, you know straight away it’s in the rough.”
2007 Masters champion, Zach Johnson, posted a superb second round total of 65 to move from 21st place overnight to outright second midway through day two.
On a day when many players were falling victim to the increasingly fast greens, Johnson cruised through his 18 holes, firing six birdies along the way, with the only blemish coming at his final hole, the troublesome par 4, 452m 9th.
In a post-round interview Johnson reiterated the need to keep the ball on the fairways.
“Today obviously my scorecard showed that I played solid. I hit a lot of fairways. That’s what it came down to, and my putter started to work. The greens are pure. You get it on line and they’re going to go in. It’s just about hitting those fairways.”
Overnight co-leader, Paul Casey, fell away today with a round that included two double bogeys, four bogeys and five birdies. Fellow overnight leader, Hunter Mahan, is currently even through three holes.
Rod Pampling, Aaron Baddeley, Geoff Ogilvy and Mark Hensby lead the Australians in the clubhouse at +4 in 38th place.
