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Reed, Spieth lead US Open at halfway
Day planning to play on despite dizzy spell
Wounded Tiger tumbles out of US Open
Reed, Spieth lead US Open at halfway
TACOMA, 20 Jun 2015 (AFP) - Ryder Cup teammates Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth charged up the leaderboard, but the American assault on Friday didn't include Tiger Woods who crashed out of the US Open.
The two Texas natives were co-leaders after 36 holes at the $10 million tournament at the 7,695 foot Chambers Bay golf course, the longest in major championship history.
The 24-year-old Reed had a 69 for a five-under total of 135, joining reigning Masters champion Spieth, 21, who had a fine 67.
"Anytime I play with Jordan I enjoy it," said Reed. "The main thing for me is to stay focussed
"I am in a good position and I hopefully can have a good weekend and a chance to win."
Overnight co-leader Dustin Johnson was one stroke adrift with a 71 as he was tied with South Africa's Branden Grace (67) who was the only non-American in the top four. US golfers held eight of the top 11 positions on Friday.
Grouped on 137 were US trio Tony Finau (68), Daniel Summerhays (67) and Ben Martin (70) and Joost Luiten of the Netherlands (69).
The two young Americans Spieth and Reed formed a successful Ryder Cup pairing against the Europeans at Gleneagles, Scotland in late September.
World number two Spieth is once again proving he can shine on the biggest stage as he surged up the leaderboard by making birdies on three of four holes beginning at No. 14.
Spieth, who posted a wire-to-wire victory at Augusta in April, is seeking to become the first man to win the Masters and US Open in the same year since Woods in 2002.
"If you shoot in the 60s at a US Open you are going to be pleased," Spieth said. "I will draw on my experience at Augusta, but my patience here has to be that much higher.
"At Augusta I was making everything. It would be nice if I could do that here. This course is going to get tougher and tougher."
There was some drama on the final hole of the day for Spieth's threesome when playing partner Jason Day, of Australia, collapsed on the side of the fairway after suffering a bout of vertigo.
The Queensland native was treated by several medical staff on the course for about 10 minutes before mustering enough courage to finish out his round despite being in obvious discomfort as he made those final shots.
His manager Bud Martin said Day, who shot a 70, expects to be well enough to resume his tournament on Saturday.
Reed also climbed up the leaderboard Friday as he briefly held the tournament lead, but a bogey at the last dropped him into a tie with Spieth.
Reed, who proclaimed himself as one of the "top five players in the world" after winning the WGC-Cadillac Championship in March of last year, would like to validate that boast with his first major title at Chambers Bay.
Reed had a chance to hold onto the 36-hole lead but his 18-foot putt for par on 18 stopped on the edge of the cup for a tap in bogey.
Johnson had three birdies on the front nine and appeared to be headed into the weekend with at least a share of the lead.
But the long-hitting American had a frustrating finish with back-to-back bogeys on 17 and 18 to drop to a tie for third.
"When I got into trouble I felt I hit good shots and got myself out and made some good up-and-downs," said Johnson, who is considered one of the best players who hasn't won a major. "But I just didn't hole the putts like I did yesterday.
- Longest major in history -The USGA wanted a more difficult second round after 25 players broke par on Thursday. So they extended Chambers Bay to 7,695 feet, making it not only the longest ever US Open but also the longest in major championship history.
The front nine alone was 4,020 feet. They also made the first hole a par-five instead of a par-four and altered 18 so that it became a tricky par four.
World number one Rory McIlroy and six-time US Open runner-up Phil Mickelson both punched their tickets into the weekend.
McIlroy was making no progress from the two over mark he started the day on until he eagled the par-four 12th.
But he took a double-bogey at the par-three 17th and settled for a second straight 72 and a four-over total which got him into the weekend.
Woods wasn't so lucky as he had the door slammed shut behind him Friday.
Woods added a 76 to his opening 80 and, at 16 over par, he was on his way home after another disastrous tournament, tied for 150th place.
Mickelson fired a four-over 74 to keep his bid for a career grand slam alive.
Other notables missing the cut were Rickie Fowler, defending champ Martin Kaymer, Bubba Watson and 15-year-old amateur Cole Hammer.
Day planning to play on despite dizzy spell
TACOMA, 20 Jun 2015 (AFP) - Jason Day needed medical treatment after dramatically collapsing at the side of the fairway Friday on the final hole of his second round at the US Open, but hopes to play at the weekend.
Placed high up the leaderboard at three under for the tournament at the time, the 27-year-old Australian hit his tee shot at the par-three ninth into a bunker and then fell to the ground as he made his way down to the green below.
A medical team took several minutes to revive him before he staggered on, playing his bunker shot and two-putting for a bogey four.
He was given more treatment at the side of the green and taken away on a golf cart to sign his card for the round.
Day's agent Bud Martin later said: "Jason was diagnosed to have suffered from Benign Positional Vertigo.
"He was treated locally by Dr. Robert Stoecker and Dr. Charles Souliere and is resting comfortably.
"His condition is being monitored closely and he is hopeful he will be able to compete this weekend in the final rounds of the U.S. Open."
Day, twice a US Open runner-up in 2011 and 2013, has been suffering from vertigo and dizzy spells for the last few months and has pulled out of tournaments before in the last year due to the condition.
Playing partner Jordan Spieth said that Day had made no mention prior to his fall that he had been felling unwell.
"I was walking with him, the next thing I know I turned around and I think he got dizzy and slipped and fell," the Masters champion said.
"So at that point, how can we help him out and kind of clear the scene and try and keep the cameras off and let him just rebound from being dizzy.
"That's all it was, I think. I don't think it was a slip off of the ground. I think it was maybe a little dehydration or something.
"I'm not really sure. He didn't mention much after the round. We were trying to look out for him."
Playing in the group directly behind Day's group, Tiger Woods watched on with concern from the elevated tee as one of his close friends suffered.
"I know he didn't play in Dallas this year because of vertigo. And I played with him at Memorial and we talked about it in depth, and he did a blood panel and all that stuff," said Woods who missed the cut.
"I hope he's okay. I'll call him as soon as I'm done here and see if he's all right."
Day eventually signed for a 70 and, at two under for the tournament, was well in the hunt for what would be a first major title.
Wounded Tiger tumbles out of US Open
TACOMA, 20 Jun 2015 (AFP) - Tiger Woods carried the scars of another failed campaign with him on Friday as he headed for home following another horror show at the US Open.
The fallen great made for the exit door after a struggling second round score of 76 failed miserably to repair the damage done by a horrendous opening 80.
That effort - his worst at any US Open and the fourth worst of his pro career - left the sport's former dominant force with a mountain to climb just to make the cut. He never looked like doing that
"I wanted to shoot 5 or 6 today. But I wanted to be on the other side of it," he said.
"But I hit a little bit better today. But, again, I made nothing today. I didn't make any putts the first two days.
"I hit it better today. Hitting some spots where I could hit some putts. I made nothing.
Things quickly went from bad to worse at Chambers Bay early in the day as the 39-year-old American, whose last major title came in this same tournament seven years ago, bogeyed the 10th, his opener.
Again the culprit was a wayward drive which lodged his ball into a steeply sloping bank of long fescue grass and the three-time former US Open winner ended up on his backside as he slipped measuring up his next shot.
He did manage an up-and-down from a bunker at the short par 12th for birdie - just his second of the tournament - but he was needing a round in the mid sixties to have any hope of playing at the weekend and that did never looked remotely likely.
Bogeys at 14 and 18 brought him to the turn at two over 36 and at 12 over for the tournament, his fate had already been sealed.
He soldiered grimly on helped along by a birdie at the first, but more bogeys followed at 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9 as his game started yet again to unravel.
He ended the day at 16 over par and tied for 150th in a starting field of 156
On his own admission, Woods is playing the worst golf of his career and he has fallen to 195th in the world rankings which excludes him from some of the top tournaments coming up.
His last missed the cut in the US Open came at Winged Foot in 2006, shortly after the death of his father Earl.
His previous missed cuts in any major tournament came at the PGA Championships of 2014 and 2011.
Woods' plight brought some sympathy from his fellow pros, notably Jordan Spieth, the 21-year-old Texan who has become the new face of Americah golf.
"We have to maintain an insane amount of focus on ourselves. But, sure, it's Tiger, everybody is aware of," he said.
"Everybody hopes that he's back and contending soon. And I've certainly enjoyed my time with him playing practice rounds, and especially in major championship practice rounds and learning from him.
"It seems to be getting close, even though the scores may not show it. And I wish him the best. But as far as talking about it, there's really no murmur, we're just focusing on ourselves.
Woods will now have three full weeks to try and regroup ahead of the year's third major, the British Open, which this year takes place at St Andrews where he won in 2000 and 2005.
He then has the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin, the last of the year's four Grand Slam tournaments.
Those two majors will be his last chances to salvage something from the wreckage strewn across the worst year of his career since turning pro in 1996.
With his 40th birthday beckoning at the end of the year, time is fast running out for him to realise his lifelong ambition of surpassing the 18 major title wins of Jack Nicklaus.
Asked where he would go from this latest setback, Woods shrugged and replied: "Just continue practicing, continue working on it. And hopefully it will be a little bit better."
US Open 2nd rd scores
135 - Patrick Reed (USA) 66-69, Jordan Spieth (USA) 68-67
136 - Dustin Johnson (USA) 65-71, Branden Grace (RSA) 69-67
137 - Joost Luiten (NED) 68-69, Daniel Summerhays (USA) 70-67, Tony Finau (USA) 69-68, Ben Martin (USA) 67-70
138 - J.B. Holmes (USA) 72-66, Jamie Lovemark (USA) 70-68, Jason Day (AUS) 68-70
139 - Alexander Levy (FRA) 70-69, Henrik Stenson (SWE) 65-74, Kevin Kisner (USA) 71-68, Brian Campbell (USA) 67-72, Shane Lowry (IRL) 69-70
140 - Andrés Romero (ARG) 71-69, Matt Kuchar (USA) 67-73, Jason Dufner (USA) 68-72, Cameron Smith (AUS) 70-70
141 - Geoff Ogilvy (AUS) 69-72, Adam Scott (AUS) 70-71, Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 70-71, Francesco Molinari (ITA) 68-73, Paul Casey (ENG) 72-69, Jack Maguire (USA) 73-68, Brandt Snedeker (USA) 69-72
142 - Kevin Na (USA) 70-72, Ollie Schniederjans (USA) 69-73, Marc Warren (SCO) 68-74, Justin Rose (ENG) 72-70, Lee Westwood (ENG) 73-69, Ernie Els (RSA) 72-70, Marcus Fraser (AUS) 71-71
143 - Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 73-70, Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 77-66, Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)) 74-69, Chris Kirk (USA) 70-73, Beau Hossler (USA) 71-72, Phil Mickelson (USA) 69-74, Cameron Tringale (USA) 75-68, Mark Silvers (USA) 72-71, Cheng Tsung Pan (TPE) 71-72
144 - Sam Saunders (USA) 72-72, Jim Furyk (USA) 71-73, Keegan Bradley (USA) 73-71, Brooks Koepka (USA) 72-72, Robert Streb (USA) 74-70, Kevin Chappell (USA) 69-75, Zach Johnson (USA) 72-72, Billy Horschel (USA) 72-72, Denny McCarthy (USA) 71-73, Ryan Palmer (USA) 74-70, Charlie Beljan (USA) 69-75, Brad Elder (USA) 76-68, Rory McIlroy (NIR) 72-72, Luke Donald (ENG) 73-71, John Senden (AUS) 72-72, Brad Fritsch (CAN) 70-74
145 - Camilo Villegas (COL) 72-73, Sergio García (ESP) 70-75, Ian Poulter (ENG) 72-73, John Parry (ENG) 72-73, Colin Montgomerie (SCO) 69-76, Jimmy Gunn (SCO) 72-73, Thomas Aiken (RSA) 74-71, George Coetzee (RSA) 72-73, D.A. Points (USA) 74-71, Nick Hardy (USA) 70-75, Jimmy Walker (USA) 72-73, Morgan Hoffmann (USA) 71-74, Troy Kelly (USA) 72-73, Webb Simpson (USA) 72-73, Andy Pope (USA) 74-71, Angel Cabrera (ARG) 70-75
- Missed the Cut -
146 - Cody Gribble (USA) 68-78, Charley Hoffman (USA) 76-70, Bill Haas (USA) 73-73, Roberto Castro (USA) 74-72, Garth Mulroy (RSA) 74-72, Andy Sullivan (ENG) 72-74, Hiroyuki Fujita (JPN) 72-74, Martin Kaymer (GER) 72-74, Marcel Siem (GER) 73-73
147 - Victor Dubuisson (FRA) 74-73, Anirban Lahiri (IND) 75-72, Masahiro Kawamura (JPN) 70-77, Liang Wenchong (CHN) 73-74, David Hearn (CAN) 72-75, Tom Hoge (USA) 73-74, Hunter Mahan (USA) 73-74, Bubba Watson (USA) 70-77, Tim O'Neal (USA) 74-73, Michael Putnam (USA) 70-77, Jason Allred (USA) 74-73, Bernd Wiesberger (AUT) 72-75
148 - Matt Mabrey (USA) 74-74, Russell Henley (USA) 71-77, Brian Harman (USA) 69-79, Lee McCoy (USA) 74-74, Kevin Lucas (USA) 74-74, Miguel Ángel Jiménez (ESP) 69-79, Graeme McDowell (NIR) 74-74, Retief Goosen (RSA) 77-71, Alexander Norén (SWE) 73-75, Thongchai Jaidee (THA) 71-77
149 - Bradley Neil (SCO) 76-73, Danny Willett (ENG) 72-77, Jason Palmer (ENG) 76-73, Ryo Ishikawa (JPN) 74-75, An Byeong-Hun (KOR) 73-76, Shiv Kapur (IND) 72-77, Bo Van Pelt (USA) 73-76, Bryson DeChambeau (USA) 74-75, Lee Janzen (USA) 73-76, Matthew NeSmith (USA) 76-73, George McNeill (USA) 75-74, Ryan Moore (USA) 75-74
150 - Jake Knapp (USA) 74-76, Tyler Duncan (USA) 78-72, Jared Becher (USA) 78-72, Kyle Jones (USA) 78-72, Steve Marino (USA) 75-75, Erik Compton (USA) 76-74, Yang Gunn (KOR) 74-76, Lucas Bjerregaard (DEN) 73-77, Marc Leishman (AUS) 73-77, Stephen Gallacher (SCO) 78-72, Oliver Farr (ENG) 73-77, Tjaart Van der Walt (RSA) 77-73
151 - Sam Horsfield (ENG) 75-76, Jamie Donaldson (WAL) 74-77, Shunsuke Sonoda (JPN) 78-73, Blayne Barber (USA) 78-73, Gary Woodland (USA) 74-77, Brandon Hagy (USA) 74-77
152 - Billy Hurley III (USA) 80-72, Michael Davan (USA) 77-75, Danny Lee (NZL) 78-74
153 - Kurt Barnes (AUS) 72-81, Davis Riley (USA) 73-80, Brendon Todd (USA) 78-75
154 - Josh Persons (USA) 79-75, Richard Lee (USA) 74-80, Rickie Fowler (USA) 81-73, Stephan Jäger (GER) 74-80
155 - Sebastian Cappelen (DEN) 70-85, Rich Berberian Jr. (USA) 83-72, Pat Wilson (USA) 79-76
156 - Lucas Glover (USA) 73-83, Tiger Woods (USA) 80-76, Baek Seuk-Hyun (KOR) 74-82
157 - Darren Clarke (NIR) 77-80
161 - Cole Hammer (USA) 77-84
166 - Alex Kim (USA) 80-86
Did Not Finish: Matt Every (USA)