Coetzee Sets Early Mark for Day 2 Early Starters

Post by Sports Writer Derek Clements

George Coetzee took advantage of benign conditions to climb into contention after two rounds of The Open at Hoylake.

He has been a good player for a long time, but had to wait until February this year to claim his first victory on the European Tour. He hits the ball prodigious distances, is a brilliant bunker player and hits low, penetrating long irons to the manner born.

He put together a solid 70 on day one and then, celebrating his 28th birthday, decided it was about time to show the world what he could really do. The stocky South African birdied the fifth, 10th, 13th, 14th and 15th and suddenly, from nowhere, he was tied with McIlroy at six under par, knowing that if he could keep it at that mark he may well end up in the lead on his own at the end of the day.

And, of course, he immediately three-putted the par-five 16th to drop back to five under, and let another one go at the 17th. To his credit, he produced a stunning pitch at the 18th for a birdie four that moved him back to five under. It meant he could sit back and watch the fun as the late starters struggled with the weather.

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Defending champions have a habit of either missing the cut or barely scraping through to the final two days, and after all the trials and tribulations he has been through this season there was plenty of pressure on Phil Mickelson as he set off.

Starting the day on two over par after stumbling to a 74, he needed something to happen - and he needed it to happen quickly, Instead, he dropped a shot at the third. Then he almost holed his approach at the fourth, leaving himself a tap-in birdie, and after a superb approach to the par-five fifth he rammed home an eagle putt to get back to level par. On a windy day on the Dee Estuary, with scores expected to be far higher than day one, this was exactly what he required. He should have got into the red at the seventh but a putt from six feet slipped agonisingly by.

Bubba Watson, playing with Mickelson and the hapless Ernie Els, also needed to get it going after an implosion of his own during the first round when he threw away a promising start by completely losing the plot. With the wind starting to get up, Hoylake was starting to look like a course that may continue to exact its revenge on Watson for Thursday's petulance.

Bad news, too, for Jason Day. The Australian injured his wrist again in the first round while attempting to dig his ball out of waist-high rough, and played with it heavily strapped.

Justin Rose and Adam Scott were among the other high-profile morning starters. Scott, the world No1, shot a 68 to get his challenge going, while Rose began the day on level par, the same mark as Lee Westwood, for whom time is surely running out.

Rose was making no progress until he holed out from off the green at the ninth for a birdie and repeated the trick at the 10th, this time for eagle. Suddenly, at two under par, he had ignited his challenge and was just four off the pace, and one behind playing partner Scott. The Australian had an up and down round but will be happy enough to have scored a 73 that leaves him on three under par, one ahead of Rose.

Martin Kaymer, the US Open, had the start he didn't want. He arrived at Hoylake full of confidence after his astonishing display at Pinehurst, but his golf since then has been a mixture of brilliance and downright shocking. And the second round quickly turned in to one he would want to forget very quickly, despite three birdies in the first five holes. A wild drive at the sixth cost him a double-bogey, and he dropped further shots at the eighth and ninth. Showing the fighting spirit that has made him a champion, he kept battling to the end and posted a 72 for a one over par total.

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The most unexpected move came from Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee, who mixed four birdies with two bogeys on the front nine to move to two under for the championship. Jaidee knows how to win - and he also knows how to win when the wind blows. But the course got the better of him and he dropped two shots on the way home.

For Westwood, it was all something of a struggle. He slipped back to two over par until holing a long putt for a birdie at the 12th, his first of the day. But he quickly started going backwards again and was in serious danger of missing the cut after a 76.

Mickelson eventually got into the clubhouse on two over par, and will be here for the weekend. Bubba, two shots worse, will have to wait to find out if he makes it.

Derek Clements is a sports journalist with a particular passion for golf with over 12 years of experience covering golf and other sports including Chief Sub-Editor on the sports desk of The Sunday Times. To contact Derek email direct via [email protected]