Utah Championship: Weather improves play on second day

Monday, 13 September 2010 16:13

Sandy • Weather was once again a factor on day two of the Utah Championship.

Instead of gusty winds and rain, Friday’s play was notable for sunshine and cushier greens as the Willow Creek Country Club displayed a more approachable personality.

“It was probably two shots easier today with the greens as soft as they were,” said Bradley Iles, who moved into contention at 7-under with a 65 on the par 71 course. “We came out this morning and it was perfect.”

Michael Putnam shot his second consecutive 66 to take the lead at 10-under par. Cliff Kresge was next at 9-under with Rob Oppenheim two shots back in third place. Chris Kirk, the first round leader and two-time champion this summer, shot 3-over par Friday to fall six shots off the pace.

“I played better yesterday,” Putnam said. “I made a lot of putts today.”

Putnam drained a 40-footer for birdie on No. 8 and chipped in for eagle on No. 10. He also sank several putts between 10 and 15 feet, but ran into trouble and bogeyed 17, a par 5.

“It was definitely a grinder,” he said.

Farmington’s Daniel Summerhays was at 6-under dropped two shots late in his round to 4-under. Sandy’s Steve Schneiter, even to start the day, made a charge to 5-under.

How difficult were conditions Thursday? The scoring average was 71.57, the highest first-round average in relation to par at Willow Creek since 2002.

“The hardest part for me is figuring out how far the ball is going to go,” Kresge said. “We have to do two or three calculations sometimes to figure out how far the ball is going. We played about 5 percent this morning, and as it warms up it can get closer to 10 percent.”

Kresge’s scorecard included six birdies and two bogeys. He birdied only three of the course’s five par fives.

With its handful of par fives, Willow Creek is not known as a difficult scoring course for the tour. Though the golfers were pleased with the condition of the fairways and quick greens.

Oppenheim, who put together a steady, bogey free round, has struggled a bit during his first season on tour.

So far, though, he’s looking for his best finish despite playing Willow Creek for the first time.

“It’s tough when conditions change, but that’s part of professional golf,” Oppenheim said. “You’ve got to learn to adapt not only from day to day but also week to week.

“You’re learning the courses, learning where to eat, where to stay and it’s an adjustment,” Oppenheim said. “It’s nice to play two rounds like this because I’ve never been in this position on tour.”

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