Round 2 Notebook: Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
By Chris Reimer, PGA TOUR staff
Weather: Sunny and hot. High in the lower 90s. Winds ENE 4-8 mph.
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• The cut came at 2-under-par 138 with 76 professionals advancing to the weekend. This is the lowest cut in the tournament's 63-year history. The lowest previous cut was 1-under-139 in 2007.
• Bryce Molder, playing the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial for the first time in his career, shot a second-round 8-under-par 62 to take the lead by one stroke over Jason Bohn.
Bryce Molder
Current FedExCup standing: 57
Starts/Made Cuts/Top-10s: 14/8/4
Best 2010 finish: T7 -- Puerto Rico Open
• The 62 is the lowest round of Molder's PGA TOUR career. The 31-year-old from Arkansas has shot 63 three times previously, most recently at the 2009 Frys.com Open.
• Molder has twice held a 36-hole lead in his career, both times occurred earlier this year. Once at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am where he finished T10 and at the Shell Houston Open where he finished T8.
• Molder is off to a solid 2010 campaign with four top-10 finishes -- more top10s than he has recorded in any of his three previous full seasons on the PGA TOUR.
• Molder is looking to become the sixth player to win at Colonial in his first-ever appearance at the event.
Ben Hogan - 1946
Clayton Heafner - 1948
Dave Stockton - 1967
Keith Clearwater - 1987
Sergio Garcia - 2001
• Molder's 36-hole total of 127 is the lowest opening 36-hole score on TOUR this season.
• At Georgia Tech, Molder was a first-team All-America selections (1998-2001), joining David Duval, Phil Mickelson and Gary Hallberg as the only players to gain All-American status in all four years of Division 1 college golf.
Jason Bohn
• Bohn is making his fifth start at the Crowne Plaza Invitational (T56-2006, T18-2007, T52-2008, T22-2009).
• Bohn, No. 18 in the FedExCup standings, is coming off a two-week break since finishing T64 at THE PLAYERS Championship. He notched his second-career win in late April at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, five years after winning the 2005 B.C. Open.
• Jason Bohn has had little trouble navigating through the "horseshoe" at Colonial Country Club. Holes 3-5 are some of the toughest holes on the course, ranking 4, 1 and 2 respectively. Bohn has played the holes in 2-under-par with two birdies on the third, a birdie and a par on the fourth and a bogey and a par on the fifth.
Brian Davis
England's Brian Davis shot a 5-under-par 65 on Friday after being treated on Thursday at a nearby hospital following the first round to have an abscess removed from his cheek. Davis, whose right cheek was visibly swollen on both Thursday and Friday, totaled opening rounds of 64-65-129 for a new 36-hole career low on the PGA TOUR. His previous best of 132 thru 36 holes happened twice at the 2008 The Honda Classic and 2009 Valero Texas Open.
Davis has one top-10 finish this season, a runner-up at the Verizon Heritage that came in memorable fashion. After sinking an 18-foot-putt to force a playoff with Jim Furyk, Davis called a penalty on himself on the first playoff hole for a two-stroke penalty, paving the way for Furyk's victory.
Davis would be the first-ever player from England to win in the 63-year history of the event.
Kris Blanks
• After hitting all 18 greens in regulation on Thursday, Kris Blanks shot a second-round 64 on Friday and is 11-under-par, two shots back of leader Bryce Molder.
• Blanks is bogey-free thru 36 holes.
• Blanks is playing on the PGA TOUR for the second time after failing to keep his card in 2009, but qualifying for 2010 thru Q-School. Blanks recorded his best career finish earlier this year with a runner-up at the Puerto Rico Open presented by Banco Popular.
• Blanks' wife is a golf professional at Sea Pines Country Club in Hilton Head, S.C., and has beaten Blanks nine times in nine years.
Jeff Overton
• Overton celebrated his 27th birthday on Friday with a second-round 67 and is at 10-under-par, three shots off the lead. It was also Overton's father birthday on Friday a day after Overton shot 63.
• Overton is making his second start at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial (T13-2009).
• Overton, No. 27 in the FedExCup standings, has finished runner-up in two of his last four starts, including a T2 at last week's HP Byron Nelson Championship and a solo-second at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
• Overton has had Eric Larson serving as his caddie the last couple of weeks. Larson is the long-time caddie of Mark Calcavecchia and most recently Anthony Kim (through 2009).
Corey Pavin
• Playing for the 27th time at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, United States Ryder Cup captain Pavin shot a second-round 6-under-par 64 to move to 9-under for the tournament. Pavin, who won this event in 1985 and 1996, has played the event every year dating back to his first Crowne Plaza Invitational in 1984. He is looking for his first top-10 finish here at Colonial Country Club since a T8 in 2001.
• At 50 years, 6 months and 14 days on Sunday, Pavin would be the sixth-oldest winner in PGA TOUR history if he were to win this week and the oldest since Fred Funk won the 2007 Mayakoba Classic at Riveira Maya. Pavin would be the oldest winner in the history of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.
Winners over 50 on the PGA TOUR:
52 years, 10 months, 8 days, Sam Snead, 1965 Greater Greensboro Open
51 years, 7 months, 10 days, Art Wall, 1975 Greater Milwaukee Open
51 years, 3 months, 7 days, Jim Barnes, 1937 Long Island Open
51 years, 1 month, 5 days, John Barnum, 1962 Cajun Classic
50 years, 8 months, 11 days, Fred Funk, 2007 Mayakoba Classic at Riviera Maya
50 years, 1 month, 18 days, Craig Stadler, 2003 B.C. Open
Miscellaneous Stats
• Ben Crane recorded a hole-in-one on the par-3 13th hole using an 8-iron from 160 yards. This is the third consecutive year that a hole-in-one has taken place on the 13th hole. Dean Wilson aced the hole in 2009 and Dustin Johnson recorded a hole-in-one there in 2008.
• The 13th hole is this week's Kodak Challenge Hole. There will be one designated Kodak Challenge hole at 30 different TOUR events. Players, who must play at least 18 of the holes to be eligible, will count their lowest score relative to par on the Kodak Challenge Hole made during an official competition round. The player with the lowest cumulative score at the end of the challenge wins. Last year, Kevin Streelman won the inaugural Kodak Challenge and its $1 million prize.
• Several of the key players on top of the leaderboard have experienced some type of health issue this week. Molder is suffering from a sore throat, Davis from an abscess on his right cheek and Bohn from an equilibrium issue due to fluid in his ear.
• The second-round leader/co-leader has gone on to win just six of 21 stroke-play events on TOUR this year, most recently Jason Day at the HP Byron Nelson Championship.
• Two-time Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial champion Kenny Perry shot a 6-under-par 64 in round two to jump from T39 following round 1 to T10 after 36 holes. Friday marks the fifth time in his carrier that Perry has shot 64 or better at Colonial Country Club. With rounds of 68-64, Perry has the opportunity to shoot three consecutive rounds in the 60s for the first time this year.
• Seven past champions of the Colonial are competing this week: Steve Stricker (2009/T27), Phil Mickelson (2000, 2008/MC), Rory Sabbatini (2007/T69), Tim Herron (2006/MC), Kenny Perry (2003, 2005/T11), Steve Flesch (2004/MC) and Corey Pavin (1985, 1996/T7).
• International players have won the last four TOUR events, the longest stretch since a seven-event streak in 2008.
• Bogey-free rounds: Kris Blanks (64 -- 36 holes bogey free), Brian Davis (65), Boo Weekley (63), John Mallinger (66), Kenny Perry (64), Ricky Barnes (T11), Paul Goydos (65), Brendon de Jonge (T27), Chad Collins (66), Lucas Glover (65) and Brett Quigley (66).
• Jeff Maggert withdrew during the second round due to a shoulder injury.
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