Golf
Snedeker takes lead at Open
2012-07-20 13:05
Lytham - Brandt Snedeker took sole possession
of the lead in the second round of the British Open at Royal Lytham on
Friday, birdieing the par-five seventh to get to seven under for the
tournament.
That eased the 31-year-old American ahead of
first-round leader Adam Scott of Australia, who had a 64 on Thursday and
was not due out until mid-afternoon in the second round.
Snedeker,
who missed the cut in his three previous Opens, started with a birdie
at the par-three first to get to five under and moved level with Scott
with a monster birdie putt at the sixth.
Steve Stricker of the United States remained at three under through the turn, but Peter Hanson fell back to two under.
World
No.1 Luke Donald briefly got to three under with four birdies in five
holes from the fourth, but he fluffed a chip from the back of the 10th
green to drop back.
Rory McIlroy, one of eight players at three
under at the start of the second round, had a wild outward half with two
birdies against two bogeys and a double-bogey at the par-three ninth to
fall back to one under.
Belgium's Nicolas Colsaerts, who had a 65
on Thursday for a three-way tie for second place with Paul Lawrie of
Scotland and Zach Johnson of the United States, vanished off the
leaderboard with an outward half of 39. Lawrie and Johnson were due out
later in the day.
It was proving to be a disastrous morning for
Phil Mickelson, who dropped three strokes in his first six holes to
stand at six over, leaving the American in danger of missing the cut.
Others to shoot 67 on Thursday were Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Graeme McDowell, all of whom had mid-afternoon starts.