SM
Watford vs. Leeds: 20 hrs 49 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews
Collect News Data

Richard Bland claims overnight lead at the US Open

:Headline: Richard Bland claims overnight lead at the US Open:
The Englishman finished day two one shot ahead of former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen.
Sports Mole

Five weeks after winning his first European Tour title at the 478th attempt, Richard Bland could dream of major championship glory after setting the clubhouse target on day two of the 121st US Open.

Playing only his second tournament in America in a 28-year career, Bland added a 67 to his opening 70 at Torrey Pines for a halfway total of five under par, a shot ahead of former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen.

Pre-tournament favourite Jon Rahm, who held a six-shot lead after 54 holes of the Memorial Tournament before being forced to withdraw after a positive Covid-19 test, was a shot further back alongside double Masters winner Bubba Watson.

Bland began the week as a 500/1 outsider and 115th in the world, remarkably the same ranking Phil Mickelson held before he became the oldest major champion in history by winning the US PGA, eight days after Bland’s victory in the British Masters.

The 48-year-old, who shot 77, 70 to miss the cut in the 2009 US Open at Bethpage, started his second round with birdies on the 10th and 13th before dropping a shot on the 15th after missing the green with his approach.

However, Bland then holed from 18 feet for birdie on the 16th and half the distance on the next to move into a share of the lead.

Bland found trouble off the tee to bogey the 18th but birdied the second, fourth and sixth to lead by two shots before making a bogey on the eighth after his tee shot plugged in a greenside bunker.

“I’m very proud,” Bland said. “To lead a major is always pretty special. I tied the lead in the Open in 2017 for a hole, so it’s nice to have it a bit longer than that.

“I was coming here off a couple of good results, a win and a third in Europe. I’ve been driving the ball well for five, six weeks now, which is the cornerstone if you’re going to put a fight up for a US Open.

“When I saw this place on Monday, it kind of set up to my eye. It’s all there just straight in front of me, and that’s the kind of golf course I like. There’s nothing kind of jumping out and grabbing you or anything like that.”

Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau had every right to be worried about making the cut after two bogeys in the first three holes of his second round left him four over, only to then birdie the 13th and 16th and hole from 25 feet for eagle on the 18th.

Another birdie on the first took DeChambeau into red figures and although he bogeyed the third and seventh, a birdie on the ninth completed a 69 and left him five behind Bland on level par.

Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy had been within two of the lead when he birdied the 12th and 13th, only to then drop three shots in a row and, after a birdie on the 18th, three more in four holes from the second.

McIlroy repaired some of the damage with a birdie on the sixth and also birdied the ninth to get back to one over.

Rory McIlroy chips onto the fourth green during the second round of the US Open (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP)

Oosthuizen had earlier held on to a share of the lead when play resumed on Friday morning.

The South African faced a birdie putt on his penultimate hole when play was suspended late on Thursday evening, a legacy of a 90-minute fog delay earlier in the day.

After racing his birdie attempt seven feet past the hole, Oosthuizen calmly holed the return and parred the last to complete a 67, before adding a second round of 71 to remain four under.

body check tags ::

amp_article__451928 : Collect and Make Data not in DataBase  : 
last updated article - 2021-06-18 21:38:08:
html db last update - 2021-06-18 21:26:21 :

ex - 7200 : read : write cache and make html

Click here for more stories about Richard Bland

Share this article now:


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!
Read more about Richard Bland Louis Oosthuizen Rory McIlroy Bryson DeChambeau Russell Henley Bubba Watson Jon Rahm Golf
Follow @SportsMole for the latest breaking news stories, and follow @sm_headlines to get every headline from Sports Mole
Recommended Next on SM
Liverpool 'resigned to missing out on top managerial candidate'
Arsenal 'optimistic over triple injury boost for Man City clash'
Littler wins Premier League Week Nine in Belfast

Page options

Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal28204470244664
2Liverpool28197265263964
3Manchester CityMan City28196363283563
4Aston Villa29175760421856
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs28165759421753
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd28152113939047
7West Ham UnitedWest Ham2912894650-444
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2811985044642
9Wolverhampton WanderersWolves28125114244-241
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle281241259481140
11Chelsea27116104745239
12Fulham29115134344-138
13Bournemouth2898114152-1135
14Crystal Palace2878133348-1529
15Brentford2975174154-1326
16Everton2887132939-1025
17Luton TownLuton2957174260-1822
18Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2967163551-1621
19Burnley2945202963-3417
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd2835202474-5014
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.

history www

Man City injury, suspension list vs. Arsenal - De Bruyne, Stones and more

1

MC

Key Man City duo miss training ahead of Arsenal title clash

2

KM

Preview: LA Galaxy vs. Seattle - prediction, team news, lineups

3

PL

Barcelona could be missing seven players for Las Palmas clash

4

BC

Man Utd could raise £105m through player sales this summer

5

MU

Preview: Barcelona vs. Las Palmas - prediction, team news, lineups

6

PB

How Barcelona could line up against Las Palmas

7

HB

Why Chelsea winger Sterling will relish Burnley game

8

WC

Real Madrid 'priced out of move for Liverpool's Alexander-Arnold'

9

RM

Key midfield trio 'absent from Real Madrid training on Thursday'

10

KM


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .