The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Spieth sets mark with 67
World No 2 reaches five under at halfway as Woods’ struggles continue
Masters champion Jordan Spieth kept his bid to make history firmly on track as Tiger Woods missed just his fifth cut in 68 majors as a professional at the US Open yesterday.
Spieth is looking to become just the sixth man in history after Craig Wood, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods to win the Masters and US Open in the same year.
The world No 2 can also became the first player since Gene Sarazen in 1922 to win multiple majors aged 21 or younger at Chambers Bay and cruised into the lead with four birdies in his first eight holes.
Spieth set the clubhouse target at five under after adding a 67 to his opening 68.
South African Branden Grace was a shot behind after his 67 as overnight leaders Henrik Stenson and Dustin Johnson – alongside Spieth at five under – set out for their second round.
Starting on the back nine, Spieth birdied the 10th, 14th, 15th and 17th – he also three-putted the driveable 12th for par after missing from two feet – to reach six under.
However, the Ryder Cup star then hit the lip of a bunker with his second shot on the 18th, found more sand with his third shot and eventually carded a double-bogey six on the long par four, which had played as a par-five on the opening day.
Spieth was heard on television berating himself for the “dumbest hole I’ve ever played in my life” after his second shot, but bounced back immediately with a birdie on the first, which was playing as a 593-yard par five.
A bogey at the seventh was offset by a birdie two at his closing hole to leave him well placed for the weekend.
At the other end of the leaderboard, Woods at least fared slightly better than he had during an opening 80, his worst ever score in the US Open and his third round in the 80s in his last six events.
The former world No 1 shot a 76 yesterday to finish 16 over with only European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke below him on the leaderboard.
Australia’s Jason Day collapsed to the ground during his round, apparently suffering from an attack of vertigo.
Day was walking from the elevated tee on the par-three ninth – his final hole – when he suddenly fell.
The world No 10 was able to get unsteadily to his feet and complete the hole, although he was unable to get up and down from a greenside bunker and had to settle for a round of 70 to finish two under par.