PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. - The wind and the rain arrived Friday, perhaps a prelude to a nasty weekend. Leave it to a pair of Texans, Jimmy Walker and Jordan Spieth, to thrive in Crosby Clambake conditions at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
Walker made some tough par saves and wound up bogey-free at Spyglass Hill with a 3-under-par 69. Spieth was down the coast at Monterey Peninsula, where he called the birdie on his final hole the best of his life. He’s only 20, but it was a proud moment.
They were tied for the lead going into the third round, one shot to par ahead of Hunter Mahan.
The slight advantage would go to Walker, who was at 9-under 135. Already a two-time winner this season, Walker next goes over to Monterey Peninsula, the easiest of the three courses in the rotation. Spieth was at 9-under 134 and headed to Pebble Beach, which can be brutal in nasty weather.
And the forecast for today is not particularly pleasant.
Along with a three-club wind on the exposed sections of all three courses, steady rain began coming down sideways toward the end of the second round. There is about a 75 percent chance for more rain today.
Andrew Loupe, who has missed every cut in his rookie season so far, followed his 63 at Monterey Peninsula with a 73 at Pebble Beach. That wasn’t too bad, because Pebble Beach was playing to an average of 74.1, about 2½ strokes more difficult than Thursday. He was at 7-under 136 and plays Spyglass on Saturday.
Phil Mickelson finished off his 66 at Monterey on Friday morning, and then got an early indication at Pebble Beach that this might be a long day. He three-putted from 5 feet above the hole on the par-5 second for a double bogey.Mickelson holed some good birdies, but missed plenty of short ones. He switched from a conventional grip to the claw during his round, searching for answers. A three-putt bogey on the 18th at Pebble gave him a 73. He was at 4-under 139, still very much in the game.
Scott Gardiner (Farmington) had five birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey for a 1-over 73 (138). He is tied in a pack for sixth place.
Bryce Molder (Conway) had three birdies and two bogeys for a 1-under 72 (143). Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) had three birdies and three bogeys for an even-par round of 72 (144).
Tag Ridings (Razorbacks) had one birdie and three bogeys for a 2-over 73 (146). John Daly (Dardanelle, Arkansas Razorbacks) had one birdie, seven bogeys and a double bogey for an 8-over 79 (152).
EUROPEAN PGA Two share lead
JOHANNESBURG - Edoardo Molinari and Craig Lee share the halfway lead at theJoburg Open at 11 under par, while David Horsey charged into contention Friday with a 63 to sit a shot off the pace.
England’s Horsey went 8 under through his second round with eight birdies and no dropped shots on the par-71 West Course at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington to be in contention for a first European Tour title in three years.
Ahead of him, Molinari and Lee held onto their overnight advantage. Molinari had a 4-under 68 on the longer, tougher East Course and Lee a 67 on the West after a run of four birdies on the front nine.
South African George Coetzee (68) is alongside Horsey a shot back.
Finland’s Roope Kakko matched Horsey for best round of the day with his 8-under 64 on the East to move to 9 under after racing through the front nine with seven birdies. Kakko slowed on the back nine, and dropped shots at Nos. 10 and 16, but had done enough by then to be within striking distance of the top.
Charl Schwartzel made an inconsistent 70, with seven birdies and six bogeys, to sit in a tie for 55th on 4 under, flirting with the cut.
CHAMPIONS Leader matches record
BOCA RATON, Fla. - Michael Allen matched the Champions Tour record with a 12-under-par 60 on Friday in the Allianz Championship, finishing the first round with an eagle and 10 birdies.
The 55-year-old Allen became the ninth player in the history of the 50-and-over tour to shoot 60 and the first to accomplish the feat on a par-72 course.
Allen birdied two of his final three holes in calm conditions on The Old Course at Broken Sound.
He said his hopes of becoming the first player to shoot a 59 realistically ended when he failed to birdie the par-5 sixth hole - his 15th of the day. He also missed a makeable birdie putt on his eighth hole.
Scott Dunlap was second at 63, and Tom Lehman, Chien Soon Lu and Wes Short Jr. shot 65. Short is attempting to become the 17th player to win in his Champions Tour debut.
Leaderboard AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am At Pebble Beach, Calif.
p-Pebble Beach: 6,816 yards, par-72 s-Spyglass Hill GC: 6,953 yards, par-72 m-Monterey Peninsula: 6,867 yards, par-71 Purse: $6.6 million Second round Jimmy Walker ................66p-69s-135 Jordan Spieth ................67s-67m-134 Hunter Mahan ................68p-68s-136 Andrew Loupe ...............63m-73p-136 Richard H. Lee ..............65m-72p-137 ARKANSANS Scott Gardiner ...............65m-73p-138 Bryce Molder .................72m-71p-143 Ken Duke ........................72p-72s-144 Tag Ridings ...................73s-73m-146 John Daly ......................73s-79m-152 - Complete scores, Page 7C
Sports, Pages 26 on 02/08/2014