Koepka powers to a share of lead
Woods makes the cut, but is 10 shots behind at Northern Trust
PARAMUS, N.J.» Brooks Koepka showed some muscle and unleashed a monstrous finish Friday to share the lead in The Northern Trust.
Tiger Woods missed yet another putt and was relieved to still be playing.
Koepka spent most of the second round trading birdies and bogeys, going nowhere. One swing changed everything on the 631-yard 13th hole at Ridgewood Country Club. From just under 310 yards, he swung a 3-wood as hard as he could and saw the tight draw that had been missing all day. It stopped 20 feet from the hole, Koepka made it for eagle and then closed with three straight birdies for a 6under 65.
He tied Jamie Lovemark, who shot a 66. “I wasn’t happy the first 11 holes the way I hit it,” Koepka said. “When I hit that 3-wood, it all clicked. I felt like I was finally able to release the golf club. Just tried to hit as hard as I could, big draw. Aimed at the tree on the right and tried to draw it back to the flag. When I did that, everything started to click.”
The U.S. Open and PGA champion took it from there.
Lovemark, winless in 135 starts as a pro, made five birdies in a six-hole stretch around the turn and was the first to reach 10-under 132.
A list of contenders lined up behind them in the start to the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Adam Scott, building on his confidence from playing in the final group at the PGA Champi- onship, had a 64 for the low round of the tournament and was one shot behind. Another shot back was Dustin Johnson, the world No. 1, who had another 67 that for the second straight day featured a triple bogey on his card.
Woods was not part of the action. Woods had a birdie putt on every hole until the par-3 15th, when his tee shot rolled just off the green against the collar. All he had to show for it was two birdies, giving him four birdies in 36 holes.
He finished with a three-putt bogey from just inside 30 feet, giving him another 71. He made the cut on the number, leaving him 10 shots behind. Henderson draws crowd. REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN» Sung Hyun Park emerged from the scorer’s tent to a swarm of fans after shooting an 8under 64 on Friday in the second round of the CP Women’s Open.
These fans had only one person on their minds. Brooke Henderson is the star of this show, especially after a second straight 66 left her a stroke behind leader Amy Yang.
“Brooke is almost like Canada’s Tiger Woods,” Park said.
Three share lead. SNOQUALMIE, WASH.» Kent Jones, Scott Parel and Tom Pernice Jr. shot 7under 65 on Friday to share the first-round lead in the PGA Tour Champions’ Boeing Classic. Daly fades at Czech Masters. VYSOKY UJEZD, CZECH REPUBLIC» Gavin Green boosted his chances of becoming the first Malaysian to win on the European Tour after the second round of the Czech Masters on Friday, while John Daly followed his opening 64 with a poor 3over 75 and dropped to a tie for 36th place.