Watson not curtailed by broken club
CROMWELL, Conn. — We pause now to fondly remember Bubba Watson’s neon pink driver, which broke apart mid-swing Friday on the second tee in the Travelers Championship.
And, if the three-time Travelers winner is going to have luck like this over the weekend, please spare a thought for the rest of the field at TPC River Highlands, too.
Watson recovered after snapping his driver to make birdie at No. 2 on his way to a second straight 66 that left him at 8-under-par 132, one stroke behind 36-hole leader Jason Day.
“It was a perfect tee shot right down the middle. Chipped it in there and made the putt for birdie,” Watson said wryly. “Ho-hum.”
Day shot 8-under 62 for the day’s low score and a chance at his first top-three finish in more than three years. The former world No. 1 missed three straight cuts before he tied for 44th at the PGA Championship and then withdrew from the Memorial with a back injury and did not qualify for the U.S. Open.
Day seemed to fidget with his back on the course Friday but still had eight birdies in a bogey-free round.
First-round co-leader Kramer Hickok was at 10 under before flying the green on the par-3 16th and then three-putting from 18 feet for a double bogey. He finished with a 69 to tie Watson for second.
Justin Rose and Kevin Kisner each shot 63 and were among seven player tied for fourth at 7 under. Satoshi Kodaira, who was 7 under after the first round, shot 2-over 72 in the second.
■ LPGA: At Johns Creek, Ga., Nelly Korda closed with six straight birdies in a 9-under 63 for an 11-under 133 total and a one-shot lead at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship’s midpoint. Alone in second was firstround leader Lizette Salas, who hit all 18 greens in regulation, shot another 67 and has yet to make a bogey through 36 holes.
■ Champions: At Akron, Ohio, Steve Stricker was bogey-free for a second straight round while increasing his Bridgestone Senior Players Championship lead to five strokes. The 54-year-old U.S. Ryder Cup captain shot 2-under 68 for a 9-under 131 total, and Paul Broadhurst (69) was alone in second.
■ European PGA: At Munich, Niall Kearney of Ireland shot 4-under 68 for an 11-under 133 total and a two-stroke lead at the BMW International Open’s midpoint. Five players were tied for second.