US Open: Gary Woodland leads with Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy in hunt
Written by News on 16/06/2019
Gary Woodland holds a two-shot lead at the halfway stage of the US Open, with Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy part of the chasing pack.
Woodland fired six birdies in a bogey-free 65 at Pebble Beach to move two shots clear of overnight leader Rose, who had set the clubhouse target earlier in the day with a second-round 70.
Louis Oosthuizen sits on six under ahead of Aaron Wise and McIlroy, who birdied two of his final four holes to post a two-under 69 and make the cut in the US Open for the first time since 2015.
Two-time defending champion Brooks Koepka is in the group on four under following a second successive 69, with world No 2 Dustin Johnson seven off the pace and Tiger Woods level-par.
Beginning on the back nine, Woodland rolled in a six-footer at the 12th and made a 15-foot birdie at the 16th before holing an eight-footer at the first to get to within one of Rose.
Woodland followed a 15-footer at the fifth with a two-putt gain at the next to grab the outright advantage, with the American then closing out the lowest round of the day by holing a 50-foot birdie putt on his final hole.
Rose lies two off the pace after following his record-equalling, opening 65 – which was matched by Woodland – with a one-under 70, the first time he has started with consecutive under-par rounds at the US Open, while Oosthuizen mixed seven birdies with six bogeys to match Rose’s score and move to third spot on six under.
McIlroy missed birdie chances over his first three holes but followed birdies at the fourth and seventh with a 20-foot gain at the 11th to briefly get within one of the lead.
The Northern Irishman holed a putt from a similar distance to save par at the 12th but dropped three shots over his next two holes, only to bounce back with back-to-back birdies to head into the weekend four off the pace.
Matt Wallace joins Koepka, Matt Kuchar, Chez Reavie and Chesson Hadley on four under, with 2010 champion Graeme McDowell in a share of 11th place that also includes Sergio Garcia and Jon Rahm.
Watch the US Open throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues on Saturday from 7pm on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event.
(c) Sky News 2019: US Open: Gary Woodland leads with Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy in hunt
