The weather struck again at Firestone Country Club as play was called to a halt for a second day due to inclement weather with American Stewart Cink continuing to lead the way at eight under par through ten holes as Sergio Garcia of Spain took up the European Tour baton at three under par with five to play.
David Toms of America, the 2002 US PGA Champion, is the leader in the clubhouse after a four under par 66 took him to five under par 135 but it is Cink who is setting the pace just days after being announced as one of Hal Sutton’s wild card picks for The 35th Ryder Cup Matches. Only 24 of the field of 75 completed their second rounds. Play is due to resume at 8am local time
Of the European Tour Members in action in Akron, Ohio, Garcia is best placed at three under par with Australian Adam Scott a further stroke back on two under par 138 having completed a second round 67.
England’s Lee Westwood, fending off the challenge of Swede Fredrik Jacobson in the race to finish in the top five in the Ryder Cup World Points List to qualify for The European Ryder Cup Team, is also two under par with three holes remaining of his second round, as is Germany’s Alex Cejka.
Scot Colin Montgomerie, considered by many as one of the favourites for a wild card unless he can pluck something out of the bag this week, lies at one under par through 16 holes alongside Swede Jesper Parnevik and Frenchman Thomas Levet.
The first five members of Europe’s Ryder Cup Team will be known on Sunday night after the conclusion of the second round and much attention is focused on that particular sub-plot. Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, Spain’s Sergio Garcia, Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke and Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez occupy the first four places but it is Westwood who is potentially under threat from sixth placed Jacobson and tenth placed Luke Donald of England.
Donald needs to finish at least second but lies nine off the pace after opening rounds of 71 and 70. Jacobson is looking to finish higher than 13th as a minimum requirement depending on what Westwood does, and currently lies joint 24th at level par through 14 holes, his challenge dented by a double bogey on the ninth.
Clarke, the defending champion, is also level par after rounds of 71 and 70, dropping two shots in his last three holes.
The other sub-plot involves the race to top the Official World Golf Rankings with Tiger Woods’s five year reign under threat from European Tour Honorary Members, Vijay Singh of Fiji, the US PGA Champion, and European Tour Number One Ernie Els. Woods is managing to hold them at bay lying at three under par through 12 holes with Singh on five over and Els at eight over par.
