Weir retains control in Boston
2008-08-30 22:03
Norton - Canada's Mike Weir overcame a stumbling start and tougher course conditions to move two strokes clear early in the Deutsche Bank Championship second round on Saturday.
Bidding for his ninth PGA Tour title, the left-hander
shrugged off two bogeys in his first four holes to fire a
three-under-par 68 in overcast conditions at the TPC Boston.
Despite struggling for length off the tee on a layout
softened by overnight rain, Weir posted a 13-under total of 129
to move two ahead of Jim Furyk (65).
Americans Anthony Kim (66), John Merrick (68) and Heath
Slocum (68) were a further stroke back at 10 under in a tie for
third.
Weir, who took control of the second event in the FedExCup
playoff series with a sizzling 61 in the opening round, was
delighted with his display over the last 14 holes.
"Obviously it wasn't a great start but there's lots of golf to be played and I just kept telling myself that," the 2003 US Masters champion told reporters. "I knew I was playing fine.
'Soft conditions'
"This course was a little bit tough for me on Saturday. I had lots of seven, eight and nine-irons on Friday," he added, referring to his approach shots.
"Saturday I had lots of three, four and five-irons with the soft conditions, (playing) early in the morning and with the
ball not running. When the course gets like that it plays a
little tougher for me because I can't carry it as far as some of the longer guys."
Weir, who has recorded top-seven finishes in two of his last
three tour starts, bogeyed the 12th, his third hole, after
pulling his tee shot into the left rough.
He also three-putted the par-four 13th before regaining
control with five birdies in eight holes from the 15th.
"Once I hit a nice shot into 15 to four inches ... that kind of got my momentum started," the 36-year-old said. "I hit good shots into 17 and 18 and away I went."
Holder Phil Mickelson was right on the projected cut-line of
139 after recovering from a bogey-bogey start to shoot a 70.
"It was a great day to score and I had to fight to get back just to make the cut," the American world number two said after finishing at three under.