Steve Stricker’s second round Friday wasn’t going anywhere after mental and physical miscues led to a double-bogey on the sixth hole.
After nine pars, Stricker told caddie and brother-in-law Mario Tiziani that he wanted to get a birdie or two to finish his round.
“I wasn’t thinking three,” Stricker said. “Maybe I should have been. Yeah, I just wanted to get back to even really for the day and ended up birdieing the last three. It was a good way to finish the day.”
That finish left the Stricker with a second-round 69 and 5-under for the tournament, which has alone in second place one shot behind Padraig Harrington and one ahead of club pro and qualifier Rob Labritz midway through the U.S. Senior Open at Saucon Valley Country Club’s Old Course.
Harrington shot a 6-under 65 Friday afternoon to take the lead.
Defending champion and Pennsylvania native Jim Furyk made the cut on the number (5-over).
A day after shooting his age, Haas posted consecutive birdies at Nos. 4 and 5 to take the solo lead Friday at 5-under. He dropped shots at Nos. 6-7 to drop into a tie for third with New Zealander Steven Alker, Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee, Padraig Harrington, Rocco Mediate and Gene Sauers are at 3-under for the tournament on a picturesque weather day.
Miguel Angel Jimenez tied the course record with a 7-under 64, one day after shooting 79.
Bernhard Langer’s string of 64 consecutive Senior major tournament cuts made ended when his second-round 75 left him at 7-over. The cut is hovering around 4-over.
Jaidee and Alker made birdie at the par-4 second hole in a span of less than 30 minutes. That’s one more birdie than that hole yielded in Thursday’s first round. No. 2 played as the toughest hole in the first round.
Friday’s leaderboard
Second-round leaders at the 42nd annual U.S. Senior Open at Saucon Valley Country Club’s Old Course:
1. Padraig Harrington: 6-under (F*)
2. Steve Stricker: 5-under (F)
3. Rob Labritz: 4-under (F)
4. Jay Haas: 3-under (F*)
4. Rocco Mediate: 3-under (F)
4. Thongchai Jaidee: 3-under (F*)
4. Steve Alker: 3-under (F*)
4. Gene Sauers: 3-under (F*)
9. Doug Barron: 1-under (F)
9. Mark Hensby: 2-under (F*)
9. Alex Cejka: 2-under (F*)
12. Tracy Phillips: 1-under (F*)
*Started on No. 10
Morning Call reporter Tom Housenick can be reached at 610-820-6651 or at thousenick@mcall.com
