GOLF ROUNDUP: Rose rebounds from meltdown with a 64

Published 8:22 pm Friday, July 2, 2010

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Justin Rose was happy to be leading the AT&T National, especially because it was only five days ago that he threw away a chance to win with a surprising meltdown in the final round.

Tiger Woods? He’s happy to still be playing.

Rose played bogey-free Friday and wound up with the best score of the tournament, a 6-under 64, to build a one-shot lead over Jason Day and Charlie Wi going into the weekend at demanding Aronimink Golf Club.

Woods, who won this tournament last year at Congressional, hit the ball well for the second straight day. He again got nothing out of it, however, and missed a 30-inch putt late in the round that brought him back to a 70. He was at 3-over 143, which made the cut on the number, although he was never in serious danger of going home early.

“I’m driving it on a string right now, and that’s fun,” Woods said. “But if you don’t make putts, no matter how good you hit the golf ball, you’re not going to shoot good scores.”

The scoring improved slightly in the second round, especially in the afternoon as the wind began to calm. Rose said his round was helped by being in the same group with Sean O’Hair (68) and J.B. Holmes (69), who also played well. They combined for 13 birdies and only one bogey over the 54 holes they played collectively.

For Rose, the timing could not have been better.

In his first tournament since winning the Memorial by closing with a 66, Rose had a three-shot lead at the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Conn., when it all fell apart. He shot 39 on the back nine for a 75 and tied for ninth.

“I turned up here Monday morning feeling like I was a better player than I was on Sunday, because you learn,” he said. “My game doesn’t go away overnight. You have an experience like that, and if you ask yourself the right questions and if you deal with it in the right way, you become better.”

Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic

SYLVANIA, Ohio — Na Yeon Choi followed her opening 7-under 64 with a 67 to take a two-stroke lead in the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic.

Choi has needed just 53 putts in 36 holes while getting to 11-under 131 at Highland Meadows Golf Club. South Korean compatriot Inbee Park (66) was tied for second with Christina Kim (67) and Canadian Alena Sharp (68).

Kristy McPherson holed a 60-degree wedge from 75 yards on the 18th hole for an eagle and a 68 to lead a pack of six players at 6 under.

Montreal Championship

BLAINVILLE, Quebec — Tom Wargo shot a 7-under 65 — the first time he has bettered his age in Champions Tour play — for a share of the first-round lead in the inaugural Montreal Championship.

The 67-year-old Wargo, the former Centralia, Ill., club pro who won the last of his four Champions Tour titles in 2000, had a bogey-free round at Fontainebleau Golf Club to match Russ Cochran atop the leaderboard and also tie the course record.

Jay Don Blake, Joey Sindelar, John Cook, Tom Purtzer, Jay Haas and James Mason opened with 66s. Corey Pavin, coming off a playoff loss in the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship, had a 68. Fred Couples shot a 69.

Noteworthy

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Tiger Woods has made it official by sending in his entry form to play in the PGA Championship.

The PGA of America said Friday that Woods was among the first four players to enter. The others were Masters champion Phil Mickelson, U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell and two-time PGA champion Vijay Singh.

The PGA Championship will be played Aug. 12-15 at Whistling Straits.