Saturday, February 14, 2015
Associated Press
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif.
Enjoying the best weather Pebble Beach has to offer is one thing. Brandt Snedeker knew he had to take advantage of it with his golf clubs, too.
Snedeker played bogey-free at Spyglass in abundant sunshine and warmth Friday for a 5-under 67 to share the 36-hole lead with Matt Jones in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Jones had a 66 at Spyglass Hill.
They were at 12-under 131, one shot ahead of Justin Hicks, who had a 68 at Monterey Peninsula.
John Daly, who started the second round one shot behind and briefly was tied for the lead when he birdied his opening hole at Monterey Peninsula, didn’t make a birdie over his last 11 holes and shot a 72. He dropped into a tie for 37th and will have to play well Saturday at Spyglass to avoid missing the cut for the 11th straight time at this event.
Scoring has been low, which was to be expected with barely any breeze and enough sunshine to make the ball go farther through a combination of warm air and firmer than usual fairways. The top 60 and ties make the cut, and 60th place was at 4-under par.
Snedeker and Jones now head to Pebble Beach, along with the celebrity rotation.
The pros’ outlook was different.
“If the greens firm up, Pebble is going to play the hardest because they’re such small greens,” Jones said, who won the Shell Houston Open last year for his first PGA Tour title. “If you’re not hitting your irons well enough, you’re going to struggle out there.”
Snedeker, who won at Pebble Beach two years ago, always felt that was the key to getting into contention and to winning.
“The years I’m playing good, it seems like it comes down to how you play Pebble for me the last two days,” he said. “When the weather is good, you need to be able to get after it and shoot a low round. And the way the scores are right now and the weather forecast over the weekend, it’s going to take ... somewhere around 20-under par to win this golf tournament. So I’ve got to look at 7- to 10-under par the next couple days to win. Can’t take the foot off the gas pedal.”
FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel, who hasn’t finished in the top 20 this season, had a 65 at Spyglass Hill and was part of a large group two shots behind. The biggest move of the day belonged to Torrey Pines winner Jason Day, who wasn’t ever sure he would play.
Day said he took his son to the emergency room with a stomach ailment, which then was passed to his wife and then to him. The Australian wasn’t sure he could play 30 minutes before his tee time, and then he posted a 62 at Monterey Peninsula.
Warren JFK graduate Jason Kokak, back on the course after not playing in last week’s Farmers Insurance Open, shot a 1-over 73 Friday and is at 2-under 141. Kokrak is tied for 95th.