Veteran Fred Couples has loved playing at Riviera Country Club since the first time he saw the course and for the umpteenth time in recent years, he defied back pain to soar to the top of a leaderboard.
The 51-year-old, long beloved by the fans here, coolly sank a 100-foot eagle putt at the par-five first on the way to a flawless five-under 66 in the second round of the Northern Trust Open on Friday.
Couples also sank two 30--footers for birdie on the classic Riviera layout to take a two-shot lead at eight-under 134, finishing his round in dry, overcast conditions, before a late afternoon thunderstorm swept across the course.
Photo: AFP
“Riviera is a special spot for me,” Couples told reporters. “I have won twice, but I’ve had a lot of other great finishes and fun rounds and today was one of them.”
Big-hitting American J.B. Holmes briefly joined Couples at the top, -before double-bogeying the par-four last for a 69 to share second place with Australian John Senden (69).
Former Masters champion Trevor Immelman of South Africa (67) and 2001 winner Robert Allenby of Australia (70) were among a group of five knotted at five--under when play was suspended for the day in fading light.
Twenty-six players were scheduled to complete the second round yesterday morning, among them American Spencer Levin, who was at six-under with three holes remaining.
Couples, the champion in 1990 and 1992, began another marathon day at Riviera a stroke off the pace, but immediately took charge with his spectacular eagle start.
He rolled in a 30-footer to birdie the ninth and reach the turn in three-under 32, before picking up further shots at the 12th and 15th to tighten his grip on the PGA Tour event.
Holmes, lifted by four birdies on the back nine, joined Couples at the top, before stumbling at the last where he overshot the green with his approach and took four more shots.
Senden, one of nine players tied for the lead when the first round was completed earlier in the day, got to seven-under before three-putting for bogey at the last.
American world No. 4 Phil Mickelson, a Riviera fan favorite and winner in 2008 and 2009, limped to a 70 that included five birdies and four bogeys.
The cut was projected to fall at three-over with world No. 9 Luke Donald of Britain and American D.A. Points, winner at Pebble Beach last Sunday, among those certain to miss out.
NZ WOMEN’S OPEN
AP, CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND
Giulia Sergas of Italy was penalized a shot for slow play yesterday, but still maintained a four-stroke lead over Laura Davies of England in the New Zealand Women’s Open golf tournament.
The US-based Sergas shot a three-under 69 in the third round, but her score was revised to 70 after the penalty.
Sergas, who has yet to win in 11 years as a professional, was on her way to the scorer’s tent when she was told she had been penalized after receiving a warning earlier in the round. She still leads with a 13-under 203.
Davies, the defending champion, shot 69 and is now in second place with a total of 207.
Linda Wessberg of Sweden, Kristie Smith of Australia, Cecilie Lundgren of Norway and Diana Luna of Italy were a further shot back at eight-under.
Wessberg shot 71 yesterday, while Smith had a 73. Lundgren and Luna both shot 67s — the best rounds of the day.
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