Day two of the PGA Champions Tour’s American Family Insurance Championship at University Ridge in Wisconsin threw up some wild movement on the leaderboard.
After his opening round was marred by a pair of late bogeys to fall back to -1, Darren Clarke had a reversal in fortunes on day two as two late birdies got him back into red figures for the day, but his second consecutive 71 saw him slip seven places down the leaderboard and currently lies tied for 27th.
Joint first round leaders Glen Day and Boo Weekley shot rounds of +2 and level-par to slip to 27th and 15th respectively, and the leaderboard is now headed by Ernie Els and local favourite Steve Stricker.
‘The Big Easy’ captured his fourth Champions Tour victory last week at the Principal Charity Classic with an opening 10-under 62 paving the way for an eventual two-stroke victory, and he followed that with an eight-under 64, the lowest round of the day by two, to come roaring up the leaderboard.
-2 for the day as he stood on the 12th tee having made three birdies and a bogey on his previous 11, the four-time major winner birdied three-in-a-row, then eagled the 16th before signing off with a final birdie to set the clubhouse target.
“I think I hit on something last week,” Els said afterwards. “I just, I was a little easier — I wouldn’t say easier, but just more comfortable today. I was really struggling with the wind yesterday, really had me off balance for most of the day. Greens were very fast, I felt like I was playing defensive. Today with a little less wind and softer conditions, I could be more aggressive.”
And the home fans will be treated to the final pairing they’d have wished for as Wisconsin native Stricker also pushed the pedal to the floor on the closing stretch to join Els at -9.
Stricker birdied four-in-a-row from 14 through 17, and they have a two-stroke lead over the rejuvenated David Duval whose last individual victory came at the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan back in 2001, just a few months after winning the Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St. Annes.
“It will be a lot of fun,” Stricker said when asked about the Els, Stricker and Duval final grouping on Sunday. “I saw Ernie post that 9 early and it was key for me to make some birdies coming in, but it will be a great time playing with those guys tomorrow, friends. We appreciate them being here and hopefully we put on a good show.”
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