AN EARLY BIRDIE run moved Padraig Harrington into contention on day two of the AT&T National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach yesterday.
The Dubliner opened his second round with five birdies in his first seven holes, putting himself into a share of third on eight-under-par at the half-way point, four shots off the lead held by Korea’s Charlie Wi.
A bogey at the par-five 14th was Harrington’s only mistake as he finished the day with a round of six-under 66, following up his frustrating showing on day one, when he holed out for five birdies but also dropped three shots.
But on a day when sunshine gave way to a light rain, two things stayed the same in California yesterday. Wi was still atop the leaderboard, and Tiger Woods didn’t hole enough putts to make up ground.
Wi escaped most of the rain at Pebble Beach, where he holed a wedge from the 13th fairway for eagle and limited the damage to a bogey on his final hole for a 3-under 69 that allowed him to open a three-shot lead.
Dustin Johnson was caught off guard by the rain in the worst way. He stood in the fourth fairway at Spyglass with a short-sleeve shirt, hands thrust in his pocket, as his caddie sent a friend running up the hill to the parking lot to retrieve his rain gear. His short game let him down, and the two-time Pebble champion had to settle for a 72 that put him three back.
Woods, meanwhile, again looked poised to make a move over at Monterey Peninsula. He missed a 5-foot birdie putt on No. 9 and failed to make birdie on the par-5 10th when he pulled his second shot into the gallery. He had to settle for a 2-under 68, leaving him six behind.
Along the way, he stung his wrist hitting out of a divot and said he had to pop it back into the joint.
“No big deal,” he said.
The bigger deal was putting. Woods took 33 putts on the Shore Course, which he attributed to leaving the ball in the wrong spot — mostly above the hole — and struggling with greens he felt were getting slightly more bumpy as a mist turned into a light rain.
“It’s very close,” said Woods, playing this event for the first time in 10 years. “I got my ball-striking to where I feel very comfortable hitting the shots. I just need to make a couple of putts to get on a roll.”
Phil Mickelson struggled in sunshine. In rain, he ran off five birdies for a 65 at Monterey Peninsula that put him five shots behind.
Vijay Singh had a 68 at Spyglass Hill and Brian Gay had a 65 at Monterey Peninsula to join Harrington among those at 8-under par. Hunter Mahan, fresh off his one-week journey to the Middle East for the Qatar Masters, had a 70 at Pebble Beach and was in the group at 7-under par, along with Mickelson.
– Doug Ferguson, with additional reporting by Niall Kelly
