Kelly takes 1 stroke lead at Senior Open
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.— Maybe the bestway to deal with the greens at the Broadmooris to not putt on them at all.
Jerry Kelly got the message, and now he’s in the lead at theU.S. Senior Open.
After coming up short from the middle of the 18th fairway Friday, Kelly took advantage of a decent lie outside a bunker, chipped onto the green andwatched it go straight in. He made three more birdies on the front nine— his second nine — to complete a 1-under 69 and headed into the weekend at 5-under 135, one shot ahead of Miguel Angel Jimenez.
“I knew I had to pull something out,” Kelly said. “And the chip came out just perfect and rolled right down and went in, and that got things going again.”
Kelly wasn’t the only one leaving his putter in the bag on a day that produced only 10 below-par scores and resulted in only eight players reaching the halfway point in the red.
Jay Haas chipped in for eagle on his final hole, the par-5 ninth, to shoot 69 and get to 1 under. “It wasn’t a no-brainer, butcompared to a lot of the shots around the greens here, it was easier than what I’ve had,” the 64-year-old said.
Paul Goydos holed out fromthe14th fairway as part of a 67 that left him at 1 under. It could’ve been better had his putt on 18 dropped after circling 180 degrees around the cup, then hanging on the edge and inexplicably staying out. “Slowest lip-out I’ve ever seen,” Goydos said.
Even John Smoltz got into the mix. The Hall of Fame pitcher chipped in fromthe roughnear the12th green for a birdie as part of a sweet ending to the his fantasy-camp stay with the world’s best senior golfers. He followed his openingday 85 with a 77.
“People think this is easier than it is. They think they can hit those shots,” Smoltz said. “These are the best in the world, but it brought me to my humbled knees.” Hossler has been
Beau hanging around the lead on the weekend in search of his first PGA Tour victory, and he gets another chance at the Quicken LoansNational in Potomac, Md.
So does TigerWoods. Hossler, the 23-year-old in his first full year on the tour, birdied four of his last five holes and finished with a 35-foot birdie putt on No. 18 for a 4-under 66, giving him a share of the lead with Ryan Armour and Brian Gay.
Armour (65) and Gay (64) each made short birdies on the par-3 ninth hole to finish their roundsandtie for lead.
Woods finished a steamy morning on the TPC Potomac at Avenel with two pars that felt just as big. Ona day in which he made seven birdies— all but twoofthem from 15 feet or longer — Woods didn’t let a good round go to waste at the end. He saved par from the bunker on the eighth and ninths holes for a 65. That matched his low score of the year and left him four shots behind, the closest he has been going into the weekend since he was two shots back at the Valspar Championship.
“I’m not that far back,” Woods said. “The scores aren’t going to be that lowand it’s going to be a tough weekend. It will be over 100 degrees and it will be a long weekend mentally and physically. I’m in a good position now.”
Hossler has at least a share of the 36-hole lead for the third time this year, and he had a close call in the Houston Open, losing in a playoff to Ian Poulter. He has shot in the 60s in 21 of his last 38 rounds.
“I’ve had a lot of really good rounds. Unfortunately, I’ve hadsomekind of high ones that are uncharacteristic for me,” Hossler said. “I think thatwas six in a rowin the 60s, so I’m feeling good. I’m getting it in play nicely off the tee and I’m rolling the putter really well, so that obviously helps.”
Theywere at 9-under 131, oneshotaheadof Francesco Molinari (65) and Billy Horschel (68). Molinari, who is playing the Quicken Loans National and John Deere Classic with hopes of boosting his FedEx Cup standing, hit all 18 greens in regulation.
Woods was among 20 players separated by four shots going into the weekend that is expected to be hot as ever along the Potomac River.
Lydia Ko surged into contention at theKPMGWomen’s PGA Championship in Kildeer, Ill., shooting a 6-under 66 in the second round to move two strokes off the lead.
The 21-year-old shook off a rough first round at Kemper Lakes to reach 4 under and give herself a shot to win her thirdmajor.
First-round leader Sung Hyun Park (72), 2016 winner Brooke Henderson (71) and So Yeon Ryu (69) were tied for the lead at 6-under 138.
Carlota Ciganda (69) was one stroke back, with Ko, Moriya Jutanugarn (72) and Annie Park (69) at 4 under in the third of the LPGA Tour’s five majors.
Michelle Wie (74) was 1 over. Top-ranked Inbee Park (76) missed the cut at 5 over 149. Delray Beach’s Lexi Thompson is 1-over.