OAKVILLE, Ontario - Hunter Mahan birdied the final three holes Friday for an 8-under 64 and a two-stroke lead after the second round of the Canadian Open.
Coming off a ninth-place tie last week in the British Open, the five-time PGA Tour winner had eight birdies in his bogey-free round at Glen Abbey to reach 13-under 131.
“I kind of built off last week,” Mahan said. “I got some good things I’m doing with my swing and everything, and feel good about that. I’m just going out there and really trying to trust my game.
“Just allow things to happen and not get in the way of myself and be as present as I can and keep my head up and keep moving forward and just kind of letting my abilities and everything that I’m doing in my game, let it try to come out.”
John Merrick was second after a 62. He tied the course record set by Leonard Thompson in 1981 and matched by Andy Bean in 1983 - both when Glen Abbey played to a par of 71 - and Greg Norman in 1986.
Merrick had an eagle and 10 birdies, playing the back nine in 6-under 31.
“It was a great day,” Merrick said. “I got off to a good start, hit it over the green on No. 2 and chipped in for eagle, and that kind of calmed me down. … I hit it well and made a lot of putts.”
Bubba Watson was 9 under after a 67. Aaron Baddeley and Patrick Reed shot 68 to reach 8 under, and Tommy Gainey (64), Chris Kirk (69) and James Hahn (68) followed at 7 under.
David Lingmerth ( Arkansas Razorbacks) had six birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey for a 1-under 71. Lingmerth, who started the day tied for third, is tied for ninth place with six others at 6-under 138.
Scott Gardiner (Farmington), who began Friday tied for second, had three birdies and five bogeys for a 2-over 74 and a two-round total of 4-under 140, placing him in a pack tied for 26th.
Tag Ridings (Razorbacks) had three birdies and three bogeys for an even-par round of 72 and failed to make the cut.
Mike Weir was the top Canadian, following his opening 73 with a 67 to move into a tie for 26th at 4 under.
CHAMPIONS TOUR Wiebe gets share of lead
SOUTHPORT, England - Mark Wiebe of the United States shot a 5-under 65 Friday to share the lead with Bernhard Langer after the second round of the Senior British Open at Royal Birkdale.
Wiebe had four birdies on the back nine. Langer, the 2010 champion at Carnoustie, shot a 67 and made five birdies. Both players finished at 5-under 135.
“I really got my irons zoned in on the back nine,” Wiebe said. “I know there’s a long way to go, but I’m tickled to be where I am. It was unbelievable and great to shoot the low round.”
Wiebe moved to 1 under by the turn with two birdies and a bogey. He had three birdies in four holes from the 13th and added another with a 15-foot putt at the last.
The German dropped two strokes at No. 6 when he double-hit the ball.
“The ball was sitting up in the long grass, and I caught it high on the club face and again on the follow through,but that was my only blemish,” said Langer, a two-time Masters champion. “Most of it was impressive and good, and I putted a little better today.”
David Frost of South Africa (68) finished a stroke back in third. He picked up birdies at Nos. 2, 5 and 9 to move to 5 under. He faltered slightly on the back nine, dropping shots at the par-3 12th and 14th before a birdie at No. 17.
“It was a bit of a shaky round,” Frost said. “I didn’t feel comfortable with the club in my hand. I hit some wayward shots, but managed to hit good irons into the greens and the putter was my savior.”
Tom Watson, Frost’s playing partner, only got going after a front nine featuring two birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey. The American made long putts at Nos. 11, 12 and 13 and holed another birdie at the 15th. He bogeyed the last two to finish at 4 over.
Overnight leader Gene Sauers shot a 70 for a share of fourth place with Peter Fowler (68) and Mark McNulty (67).
WEB.COM TOUR Knox shoots 59
BOISE, Idaho - Russell Knox shot the fifth 59 in Web.com Tour history Friday, missing a chance to break the tour record when he settled for pars on the final two holes in the second round of the Boise Open.
Scot, 28, had two eagles and eight birdies in his bogey-free round at 6,807-yard,par-71 Hillcrest Country Club. He made a 7-foot par putt on his final hole, the par-4 ninth.
Knox is the second Web.com Tour player in two weeks to shoot 59, following Will Wilcox in the Utah Championship. Notah Begay III had a 59 in the 1998 Dominion Open, Doug Dunakey accomplished the feat in the 1998 Miami Valley Open and Jason Gore did it in the 2005 Cox Classic.
Knox had a one-stroke lead at 13 over after opening with a 69 on Thursday.
Knox was 11 under in an 11-hole stretch. He began the run with a birdie on No. 15, eagled the par-5 16th and birdied No. 17. After pars on Nos. 18 and 1, he eagled the par-5 second and birdied the next five holes.
The former Jacksonville University player won the tour’s 2011 Chiquita Classic.
Ron Whittaker (Little Rock) had four birdies and two bogeys for a 2-under 69. He has a two-round total of 2-under 140.
EUROPEAN PGA TOUR
Karlberg leads by 2
MOSCOW - Rikard Karlberg of Sweden took a twostroke lead over four others after the second round of the Russian Open, shooting a 4-under 68 Friday to move to 9 under.
Matthew Baldwin (69), Wen-Chong Liang (70), Alexandre Kaleka (67) and Michael Hoey (67) stand two shots off the lead.
“I am in a great position right now, but there is still a long way to go,” Karlberg said. “We are only at the halfway stage, and I need to keep doing what I have been doing and making birdies to have a chance.”
Leaderboard
PGA TOUR CANADIAN OPEN At Glen Abbey Golf Club Oakville, Ontario Par 72, 7,253 yards Purse: $5.6 million Second of four rounds Hunter Mahan ................... 67-64-131 John Merrick ..................... 71-62-133 Bubba Watson ................... 68-67-135 Patrick Reed ...................... 68-68-136 Aaron Baddeley ................. 68-68-136 Tommy Gainey .................. 73-64-137 Chris Kirk........................... 68-69-137 James Hahn ...................... 69-68-137 ARKANSANS David Lingmerth ............... 67-71-138 Scott Gardiner ................... 66-74-140 Tag Ridings+ ..................... 75-72-147 +missed the cut - More scores, Page 3C
Sports, Pages 23 on 07/27/2013