RD. 2 NEWS AND NOTES: CAM'S 'SKETCHY' SATURDAY
BROKEN ARROW, Okla. – Dustin Johnson fired a 63 on Saturday to grab a two-stroke lead at LIV Golf Tulsa, and help his 4Aces jump to the top of the leaderboard as well.
Here are some other interesting news, notes and stats from the second round in Oklahoma.
CAM’S SKETCHY DAY: Ripper GC Captain Cameron Smith opened Saturday with two bogeys, including a short par miss on his second hole of the day. He then played the final 16 holes in a bogey-free 4 under to remain in contention. “Sketchy’s actually the right word,” Smith said. “Just didn’t feel right with everybody but dug deep and managed to get a few birdies. … Just one of those days but a really good effort in the end.”
DJ STEALING TALOR’S THUNDER: Talor Gooch entered the week seeking a third consecutive individual victory in front of his home fans in Oklahoma. But it’s his former captain Dustin Johnson who now leads the tournament while Gooch is tied for 36th at 1 under. Gooch left the 4Aces in the offseason to join the RangeGoats, and Johnson was asked if his performance this week was motivated by the move. “Well, I try to play well every week, so it has nothing to do with anybody else other than myself,” he said. “I come to every tournament trying to play my best. I don’t care where it is, I like to play well.”
SHRUGGING OFF A 3-PUTT: Johnson had a 20-foot eagle putt at the par-5 14th but walked away with a par after his three-putt. He then bounced back with three consecutive birdies to move ahead of Branden Grace at the top of the leaderboard. “Obviously I was frustrated after hitting two nice shots,” Johnson said. “To walk off with par, a little frustrated. But I knew I had four holes left.”
BUBBA IN TULSA: RangeGoats GC Captain Bubba Watson played in last year’s PGA Championship in Tulsa at Southern Hills. He shot a second-round 63 but fell off the pace on the weekend after suffering a knee injury that would eventually require surgery and keep him out of action for the second half of 2022. He’s been focusing on the positive vibes in his return to Tulsa this week. “It’s been good to me,” Watson said. “I’m looking forward to the battle.”
CRUSHING THE PAR 4S: Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC was a cumulative 15 under for all four players on the par 4s Saturday at Cedar Ridge. That was the best of any team by four strokes. On the flip side, the Crushers were 2 over on the par 3s, tying for the second worst team by any team.
RD. 2 STAT LEADERS
Driving distance – Peter Uihlein, 322.4-yard average
Longest drive – Jason Kokrak, 337.4 yards (10th hole)
Driving accuracy – James Piot, 93% (13 of 14)
Greens in regulation – Richard Bland, James Piot, Sebastián Muñoz, 94% (17 of 18)
Fewest putts – Mito Pereira, Cameron Tringale, 25 putts
Most birdies – Dustin Johnson, 8
Bogey-free rounds – Bryson DeChambeau (63), Danny Lee (64), Brooks Koepka (65), Peter Uihlein (65), Kevin Na (66), Richard Bland (67), Henrik Stenson (68), Kevin Na (66)
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