Reed seizes US Open lead with closing birdie at Winged Foot
NEW YORK: Masters winner Patrick Reed closed with a birdie to grab a one-stroke lead over Bryson Dechambeau ater Friday’s second round of the US Open at suddenly formidable Winged Foot.
Windy weather, faster greens, tougher pin placements and dense rough sent scores spiraling over par just a day ater the famed Mamaroneck, New York, course surrendered 21 sub-par rounds.
“You knew today was going to be brutal,” Reed said. “You know when those ( US Golf Association) guys see you manhandle a course like yesterday, they were going to toughen it up.”
Tenth-ranked Reed hit only five fairways but relied on an impressive short game to shoot a level par 70 and stand on four-under 136 ater 36 holes.
Reed, who took the green jacket in 2018, teed off on 10. He found the right rough off the ninth tee, then a deep bunker before blasting to inside six feet and making the put for his fith birdie against five bogeys.
“Geting into that bunker set it up nice for me and I was able to hit a nice 57(-degree wedge) in there to set up the birdie for me,” Reed said.
Ninth-ranked Dechambeau grinded out a two-under par 68, the day’s low round thanks to a closing eagle at nine, to stand on 137.
“I drove it prety well considering the wind conditions,” Dechambeau said. “It wasn’t easy to do out there. I did it when I needed it most. I felt really comfortable.”
Dechambeau followed bogeys with next-hole birdies four times in his morning round, which he closed at the par-5 ninth by driving 380 yards, pitching to six feet and sinking his eagle put.
“That was a fun way to finish off at a US Open. It feels great,” he said. “Confidence is at an all-time high right now.”
Spain’s Rafael Cabrera Bello and American Harris English, each chasing a first major title, shot 70 to share third on 138 with American Justin
Thomas, the 2017 PGA Championship winner who followed a 65, the lowest US Open round ever at Winged Foot, with a 73.
Cabrera Bello opened with a 40-foot birdie put at the par-3 10th, added a 26-foot birdie put at the par-3 13th, made bogeys at five of his next 10 holes, then birdied three of his last four holes.
Thomas had a run of four birdies in five holes on the back nine and a double bogey at the first.
“I was far from having good stuff out there,” he said. “That was a grueling day. I cannot drive it like that this weekend.”
American Jason Kokrak was sixth on 139, the only other player under par overall ater a 71.
The tournament was postponed from June by coronavirus concerns that forced a spectator ban and wiped out qualifying, requiring an exemption system to determine the field.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, Belgium’s Thomas Pieters and Americans Brendon Todd, Xander Schauffele and Mathew Wolff shared seventh on 140.