Rock up 2 in quest to qualify for Open; Parel tops seniors
Robert Rock was already heading to Carnoustie next week to work at the British Open in a coaching capacity.
He might now have to take his clubs.
Rock, ranked No. 244, set the record for the lowest 36-hole total since the Scottish Open was launched by the European Tour in 1972, adding a 7-under 63 in the second round Friday to his opening 64. So far, he has made 13 birdies and not dropped a shot.
Not only did it give the Englishman a two-shot lead on 13-under 127 at Gullane, it also gave him a great chance of earning one of the final qualification spots for the British Open just up the east coast of Scotland.
“It’s everything for me,” Rock said.
On a day when players shot low scores because of a lack of wind, the course record was broken twice — by Connor Syme of Scotland (62) and then Hideto Tanihara of Japan (61). The layout has only been used for the Scottish Open once before, in 2015.
Tyrrell Hatton (64) and unheralded Swede Jens Dantorp (65) were the closest challengers to Rock. Eddie Pepperell (63) and Rickie Fowler (66), the winner at Gullane three years ago, were a shot further back.
Defending champion Rafa Cabrera Bello missed the cut, which came at 4 under, after a 67 left him on 1 under. Also sidelined for the weekend will be Phil Mickelson (69, 1 under total) and Hideki Matsuyama (70, 2 under overall).
Champions: Scott Parel walked off the course thinking somebody would overtake him. Instead, he’s halfway to his first PGA Tour Champions victory — and it happens to be a major.
Parel grabbed a one-stroke lead in the Constellation Senior Players Championship in Highland Park, Ill., shooting a 6-under 66 in Friday’s second round to reach 11 under.
The 53-year-old Parel made seven birdies after starting the day two shots off the lead.
Parel remained in the lead when Jeff Maggert threeputted from about 15 feet to bogey the par-4 18th. That left Maggert (68) tied with Brandt Jobe (67) at 10 under in the fourth of five majors on the tour’s schedule.
Three-time champion Bernhard Langer (67), defending champion Scott McCarron (68), Kenny Perry (70) and Vijay Singh (67) were in a pack two strokes off the lead. Illinois coach Mike Small shot 71 and was three shots back.
This is just the second time Parel has led after a round in a PGA Tour Champions event. He shared the firstround lead at the 2017 Chubb Classic before finishing tied for 10th.
LPGA: Brooke Henderson shot a bogey-free 5-under 66 to move into a tie for the lead after two rounds of the Marathon Classic in Sylvania. Ohio. The 20-year-old Canadian and Caroline Hedwall of Sweden were at 9-under 133 through 36 holes.
Thidapa Suwannapura was one shot back.
USGA: British golfers Laura Davies and Trish Johnson recovered from rough stretches to share the lead after two rounds of the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open in Wheaton, Ill. Both stand at 4-under par 142.