Round 2 Notes: Legends Reno-Tahoe Open

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Aug. 7, 2009
By Mark Williams, PGA TOUR Staff

• The cut came at even-par 144, with 73 players making it to the weekend. The high cut in history was 1-over, coming in 1999 (78 players), 2000 (77 players) and 2003 (77 players). The low cut was in 2001, when 70 players made it to the weekend at 2-under.

John Rollins' bogey-free, 10-under 62 tied the Montreux Golf and Country Club 18-hole record, first set by Bill Glasson in 2005 (second round) and matched by Joe Ogilvie in 2006 (second round) and Parker McLachlin in 2008 (second round). The 62 is also his career-low round. He's shot 63 three times, most recently at the 2007 FBR Open.

• In his career, Rollins has never held a 36-hole lead in a PGA TOUR event. He was second at the halfway point at the Buick Invitational earlier this year and went on to finish second. The Legends Reno-Tahoe Open is his 253rd career start. Rollins' two PGA TOUR victories came at the 2002 Bell Canadian Open and the 2006 B.C. Open. Rollins has finished in the top-10 28 times and has had at least one top-10 every year since he joined the TOUR full time in 2000.

• There were eight bogey-free rounds Friday compared to one in the first round (Rich Barcelo). The blemish-free rounds came from Michael Allen, Wil Collins, J.L. Lewis, Rocco Mediate, Shaun Micheel, Steve Pate, Rollins and Nicholas Thompson. Barcelo played his first 34 holes without a bogey before he made 5 on his 17th hole Friday, the par-4 eighth.

• This week's Kodak Challenge hole is the par-3 16th. The Kodak Challenge is a year-long event where one hole at selected tournaments is chosen and players who have played at least 18 of the 30 Kodak Challenge holes are eligible to win. Scores are tabulated based on the players' lowest scores relative to par on the hole for the week. The hole ranked as the most-difficult hole in the first round, and was the second-most difficult in Friday's second round, playing to a stroke average of 3.101. There were eight birdies at No. 16 Thursday and 22 Friday. Players in the top-10 of the standings who are playing in the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open this week are (with their best score in parentheses) Thompson (par), Dean Wilson (par), Chris DiMarco (par), Jason Gore (birdie) and J.J. Henry (birdie). As of Friday night, with the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational hole factored in, Thompson is tied for second at 10-under in 19 holes played.

Chris Riley, the 2002 Legends Reno-Tahoe Open champion, set the nine-hole tournament record with a 9-under 27. He had five birdies and two eagles, including a chip-in at the par-5 ninth. The last 27 on the PGA TOUR came courtesy of Brandt Snedeker in 2007 at the Buick Invitational on Torrey Pines Golf Course's North Course. Riley began his second round at No. 1 by posting six consecutive 3s on his scorecard (four birdies, one par, one eagle) before adding another birdie at the par-3 seventh hole to get to 7-under through the first seven holes. Riley missed a birdie putt at the par-4 eighth from just inside 11 feet to post his second par of the round.

• Rollins tied the best birdie-eagle stretch on the 2009 PGA TOUR with his birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie (6-under) stretch on holes 7 through 11 Friday. Later in the day, Riley matched Rollins. Beginning on the third hole, Riley went birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie. Six other players have had 6-under birdie-eagle runs this season, the most recent prior to Friday coming from Tiger Woods at last week's Buick Open.

• Allen had a nice showing Friday, shooting a 3-under 69 to go with his even-par 72 from the first round. Although he turned 50 in January -- and won on the Champions Tour at the Senior PGA Championship -- Allen made his 12th cut in 16 PGA TOUR starts in 2009. Allen's best finish was a tie for 11th at the AT&T National in July near Washington, D.C., and he's 138th in the FedExCup. The top 125 after the Wyndham Championship (August 23) will qualify for the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup's first event, The Barclays at Liberty National.

• Rollins has turned in six consecutive sub-par rounds at the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open. In his tie-for-second showing a year ago, he shot rounds of 70-66-70-71. Prior to 2008, his last appearance in Reno was in 2004, when he shot a final-round 71. In 18 rounds, Rollins has been under par in 14 of them.

Robert Garrigus and Riley joined Spike McRoy as players who have had two eagles in the same round this week. McRoy had two in the first round (fourth and ninth holes), and Garrigus made eagles at Nos. 4 and 17. Garrigus chipped in from just off the green on No. 4 and chipped in again, this time from 55 feet, on No. 17. Garrigus also eagled No. 4 in 2006. Riley's eagles both came on the front nine. Had made a 6-footer for eagle on No. 4, and he chipped in from 24 feet on the ninth hole.

• First-round leader Rod Pampling had an adventure on his second hole of the day Friday (No. 11). He had a quadruple-bogey 9 on the par-5 hole, including one penalty shot. He made birdie on his next hole, added five more and finished with an even-par 72.

• McRoy made his first cut of 2009 in his first start of the season. His last made cut prior to this week was at the 2008 Viking Classic in Mississippi.

• Steve Pate made his first PGA TOUR cut of 2009 (in his fourth event) and made his first cut at the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open since missing the weekend in his last three Reno appearances (2004, 2006 and 2008). After opening with a 4-under 68 Thursday, he came back with a 1-under 71 Friday.

• Although he's not at 14-under at the halfway point like he was a year ago, when he led the tournament and went on to win, McLachlin backed up his opening-round, 3-under 69 with another 69. He is three for three in cuts made at the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open. He tied for 37th in his debut in 2007.

Marc Leishman continues to play well in his first Legends Reno-Tahoe appearance. Of the 29 players making their debut in Reno, he is the top performer. He shot back-to-back 68s and is at 8-under.

• With his eagle at the ninth hole Friday, Harrison Frazar made his sixth eagle at the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open, the most by any player. His eagles have come at No. 4 (2003), No. 9 (2000 and 2009), No. 17 (2005 and 2008) and No. 18 (2006). Frazar rallied after a first-round 75 to improve by seven shots with a second-round 68. Frazar tied for fourth in 2008.

• All but one past Legends Reno-Tahoe Open champion (Will MacKenzie) advanced to the weekend. Here are their scores:

Year Player 36-hole score
2002 Chris Riley 8-under
2004/05 Vaughn Taylor 7-under
2008 Parker McLachlin 6-under
2007 Steve Flesch 4-under
2003 Kirk Triplett Even
2006 Will MacKenzie 7-over

• There are 29 players competing for the first time at the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open. Fifteen of the 29 made it to the weekend. Here are their scores:

Player Position Score
Marc Leishman T2 68-68--136
Troy Matteson T6 71-66--137
James Nitties T17 69-70--139
Kris Blanks T20 71-69--140
Wil Collins T20 70-70--140
Troy Kelly T27 70-71--141
Chez Reavie T38 71-71--142
Matt Weibring T38 72-70--142
Matt Bettencourt T50 72-71--143
James Oh T50 73-70--143
Aron Price T50 73-70--143
Charl Schwartzel T50 73-70--143
Derek Fathauer T60 75-69--144
Francesco Molinari T67 73-71--144
Brian Vranesh T60 74-70--144
First-time players who didn't make the cut
Player Position Score
Ricky Barnes T82 75-71--146
Colt Knost T82 72-74--146
Aaron Watkins T82 75-71--146
Peter Tomasulo T90 78-69--147
Casey Wittenberg T90 76-71--147
Peter Lonard T100 75-73--148
Brendon Todd T100 75-73--148
Bill Lunde T106 78-71--149
Andres Romero T106 77-72--149
David Mathis T119 76-76--152
Leif Olson T119 76-76--152
Brad Adamonis T122 83-70--153
Matthew Borchert T122 81-72--153
Jason Schmuhl T122 77-78--155

• Of the players who entered the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open who are just outside the top 125 in the FedExCup standings, Thompson (126th), Charles Warren (127th), Ricky Barnes (128th), Aron Price (129th) and Tommy Armour III (130th) are playing this week. Of that group, Thompson's performance is the most impressive. After opening with a 5-over 77, he came back with a bogey-free, 6-under 66 to easily make the cut. He is tied for 50th. Armour is tied for 37th, Warren is tied for 60th, and Barnes, Price and Warren missed the cut.

Rich Beem and Frank Lickliter II withdrew from the tournament during their rounds Friday due to undisclosed injuries.

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