PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida — Sweet-swinging South African Louis Oosthuizen and American journeyman Kyle Stanley wielded hot putters to share the halfway lead at The Players Championship Friday as Vijay Singh turned back the clock to move within three strokes.
Oosthuizen matched Stanley for the best round of the day, six-under-par 66 at the TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, Florida.
They were at nine-under 135, two strokes ahead of American J.B. Holmes on a day when the top four on the leaderboard played in the more amenable afternoon conditions.
Many of the big names have work to do, defending champion Jason Day trailing by seven shots, with Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy nine behind.
“I’ve been playing well for a while now,” Oosthuizen told reporters.
Apart from winning the 2010 British Open by seven strokes at the home of golf, St. Andrews, Oosthuizen lost two majors in the playoffs, the 2015 British Open, which was also at St. Andrews, and the 2012 US Masters.
Stanley notched his lone PGA Tour victory in Phoenix in 2012. He has not quite kicked on as many expected, but has been quietly working his way back into form.
Lurking close was 54-year-old Singh, who despite a few strands of grey hair is not out of place against men half his age.
“I haven’t won in donkey’s years (but) I think I still can compete out here, and as long as I think I can compete, I’ll play here,” said the Fiji-born winner of three major championships, who lives near the course and is a constant presence at the driving range.
Singh, who temporarily supplanted Tiger Woods atop the world rankings in 2005, has not triumphed on the PGA Tour since 2008, but hope springs eternal.
“If you think you’re coming out here just to make the numbers, you’d better stay home,” he said after bogeying the last for a 68.
Wallace extends lead
England’s Matt Wallace extended his lead to five shots in the weather-affected Portugal Open Friday.
Wallace, who carded 10 birdies in a flawless opening 63, added five more in the first 12 holes of his second round before play was suspended due to darkness, following time lost due Thursday’s thunderstorms.
The 27-year-old is on 16-under par and five ahead of Germany’s Sebastian Heisele, who followed his opening 64 by carding three birdies and a bogey in 12 holes on day two.
England’s Ashley Chesters and France’s Matthieu Pavon had set the clubhouse target on nine under after rounds of 71 and 69 respectively.
Pavon was one under par after nine holes when the first round was suspended and when play resumed early on Friday, he made four birdies on the back nine to post a bogey-free 68.
The 24-year-old carded six birdies and two bogeys in round two later on Friday, while Chesters had an eagle, four birdies and four bogeys in his 71. — Agencies
