Mahan on top after wild day

Unknown shoots record-tying 62

OAKVILLE, Someone asked Hunter Mahan to predict how the weekend might unfold and as he stood near the scorer’s table late Friday afternoon, hands in his pockets, he took a short breath and stared out toward the setting sun before answering.

“I’m not going to really anticipate anything,” he said. “I’m going to anticipate standing on that first hole and thinking about where I’ve got to hit it.”

And that seems a wise choice.

The second round of the RBC Canadian Open featured a flurry of plot twists: A relative unknown from California tied a course record; a Canadian who had been counted out staged a rally; another notable Canadian stumbled below the cut; a third tiptoed above the cut line with a run of three straight birdies and a putt made from two towns over.

It had been, in a word, eventful.

“That was a fun day,” John Merrick said.

Merrick, a 31-year-old from Long Beach, Calif., tied a course record at Glen Abbey Golf Club on Friday with a 10-under 62, taking the clubhouse lead among the morning groups as the rest of the field headed out onto the course. His lead seemed safe since most of the talk had been about how much easier it had been to navigate the course in the morning than in the afternoon.

And, yet, by the end of the day, Mahan had emerged as the leader. He coasted through his bogey-free round with eight birdies to post an 8-under 64, leaving him at 13-under, two ahead of Merrick.

Bubba Watson, the 2012 Masters champion, heads into the weekend in third at 9-under, another big name that can be added on the marquee for an event that could use some star power on Sunday afternoon. And another two rallies could provide it with another boost.

Mike Weir, the sentimental crowd favourite from Bright’s Grove, Ont., sent a buzz across the suburban Toronto golf course with his round in the morning. The 43-yearold — who has not won at a PGA Tour event since 2007 — had eight birdies and finished with a 5-under 67.

“It felt great to have the fans; to give them something to cheer about,” said Weir.

Hours later, another Canadian gave them more.

Graham DeLaet, the Weyburn, Sask., native who arrived in Oakville after making the cut at the British Open, faded out of contention. He missed the cut by following an opening-round 72 with a 73 to finish 1-over (the cut was 1-under).

But David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., eased the crowd’s disappointment.

He was on the brink of missing the cut as he worked back toward the clubhouse. Hearn birdied the 16th hole and then the 17th. He still needed to sink a long putt on 18 to make the cut — some suggested it was from 60 feet, but the official distance was listed as 47 feet — and he drained it.

“It was fun,” Hearn said with a smile afterward.

“But to make the cut, it isn’t exactly a dream. It’s nice to do it when you have to do it and I’m proud of that. And I’ll hopefully do a little bit better on the weekend.”

In all, four Canadians will play this weekend, with Brad Fritsch of Ottawa and Roger Sloan of Calgary making the cut.

“It’s your national open,” said Sloan. “It means so much to you.”

Several more players mounted rallies on Friday. Graeme McDowell fired a 7-under 65 to make up for shooting 76 a day earlier. He played in the morning under the forgiving cover of the morning dew.

“I think this golf course changes significantly as the day goes on,” said McDowell.

“The rough’s quite moist and wet in the morning, with a bit of dew on it. And it plays a little easier on the greens. As it gets kind of drier and stickier as the afternoon goes on, playing out of that rough becomes a little tougher; the greens get a little more growth on them.”

He said his morning round on Friday played “significantly” easier than his afternoon round on Thursday.

Weir said something similar. Mahan conceded the difference as well, but then shrugged it off.

“This course is in such good shape, you hit the ball in the fairway, hit it on the green, you’re going to have some looks for birdie,” he said. “I kept it in front of me and just trusted myself out there. I didn’t hold anything back out there.”