Russell Henley again shared the lead at the U.S. Open in La Jolla, this time with Richard Bland, while Louis Oosthuizen slipped to a third-place tie after Friday’s second round.
Henley could have stood alone at the top, but bogeyed his final hole, opening the door for Bland.
“It’s tough to swallow that last hole,” Henley told Golf Digest. “I didn’t feel like I hit that bad of a putt.”
Neither man, however, was expected to be in this position – Henley is ranked No. 63 in the world, while Bland trails even farther back at 115.
Meanwhile, Matthew Wolff made his move to share third with Oosthuizen, one stroke behind Henley and Bland. Wolff, who finished second in last year’s U.S. Open, shot 3-under 68 for the day.
“Today was much better,” Wolff told the Associated Press. “I felt like I got a little bit more feel back. I felt a little more comfortable with my swing.”
Local Xander Schauffele fell to a seventh-place tie with Mackenzie Hughes and Kevin Streelman, three shots behind the leaders.
Poway High grad Charley Hoffman was six strokes behind, while star Phil Mickelson had a much better day Friday, shooting a 2-under 69 to make the cut. He sat seven strokes behind the leaders.
“I know that I didn’t make a run today, but I’m playing well enough to make a run on the weekend,” Mickelson said, according to AP.
The Open is over though for J.J. Spaun, who like Schauffele, is a San Diego State grad. He failed to make the cut, as did Tony Finau, Cameron Smith and Sebastian Muñoz.
Golfers completed the first round early Friday after officials suspended play at Torrey Pines Golf Course due to darkness the day before.
Viktor Hovland withdrew on the second hole of the day, according to the PGA Tour, due to an eye injury. On the same course in January, he finished tied for second behind winner Patrick Reed.