After a rough start to the day, shooting two bogies on the first two holes, Kenny Perry surged back to take a share of the lead at -11. Perry ties co-leader Kirk Triplett, who was -8 after the first round.
Perry was part of the must watch group of the day that also included the likes of Bernhard Langer (-8) and Jeff Maggert (-4). The tremendous collective play of the group was part of what allowed Perry and Langer to move up on the leaderboard today. Both said after they completed their round that the play of the others in their group really pushed them to play better themselves. This showed on the fourth and fifth holes, as all three players seemed to hit almost identical shots winding up within feet from the pins.
Langer, who is the Tour’s leader in money earned so far this season, couldn’t out drive either of his partners today. However, his precision in the short game kept him in it. He said that having precision, and control of where you want to hit the ball is one of the best advantages you can have in the game of golf.
Perry, who has always been inconsistent when it comes to putting, was on top of his short game today. When asked about how it felt to be sinking multiple 20+ ft putts, Perry said “[He] felt like Bernhard Langer for once”. It’s clear that the two pulled each other along toady. Both Langer and Perry are at the top of the leaderboard that is expected to be cut down by about 60 players.
The final cuts wont be made until tomorrow morning, as today’s play was suspended because of a thunderstorm. About 24 golfers have yet to finish the second round, and they will finish tomorrow morning before the start of the third round.
When asked about how the rain and a wet course affects their play going forward, neither Perry nor Langer thought that it would change much of what they plan to be doing. Langer said that he hopes the course will dry and harden quickly because he likes to play on fast greens. He believes he has an advantage where other players struggle on faster greens. Perry said that despite the weather, his approach to the course will not change; staying consistent from the tee box to the green, and continuing to putt well will still be the goal heading into Saturday and Sunday.
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