Tearing it up: Mark Wilson hits his tee shot on the 16th hole during the second round of the Humana Challenge in La Quinta, California, on Friday. Wilson shot a 62 and is tied for the lead. AP"I don't know why the conversation went there . . . but I thought about it," Wilson said.Wilson ended up posting the lowest score of his career, and that 62 wasn't even the best round of the day in the desert. Bob Hope's name is no longer on this reformatted tournament, but its tradition of stunningly low scores is still going strong.Wilson pulled even with Ben Crane and David Toms at 16-under 128 to share a three-stroke lead after the second round of the Humana Challenge on Friday, topping a leaderboard covered with bogey-free rounds and personal bests.Extremely low numbers always dominate the erstwhile Bob Hope Classic, which features two of the PGA Tour's three easiest courses. Add a second day of ideal Palm Springs weather, and exceptional play is necessary just to stay in contention.For example, Ryan Moore tied the Nicklaus course record with a 61, yet he was still five strokes back of the lead — and he wasn't even among 23 players who played bogey-free rounds Friday."Everything has been much improved, and we got a much better field because of it," said Crane, who had just 48 putts in his first two rounds. "This is a great place for players to start their year, because it's like playing indoors."To illustrate his point, Crane mimed his caddie picking grass blades and dropping them from shoulder height."I'm like, 'Where's the wind?' " Crane said. "He's like, 'I don't know.' I'm like, 'OK, let's just hit a normal shot here.' "Crane shot a 63 on the three-course tournament's Palmer Private course, and Toms had a 65 on the Nicklaus Private course to match Wilson at 16-under 128. Rookie Harris English had a 62 on the Nicklaus Private course to join five players in fourth place at 13 under."That's what you've got to do out here," said English, the University of Georgia graduate playing his sixth round on the PGA Tour. "Put it in the fairway and then try to go out and get after it. I was getting my putter hot, and it was a lot of fun."Moore tied Charlie Wi's 2009 record on the Nicklaus course despite starting with consecutive bogeys on his second and third holes before an eagle on the fourth. He then birdied 11 of 12 holes, including six straight around the turn."Really the last thing I remember was being 2 over through three, and then I just walked off the 18th hole," said Moore, who rose 103 spots on the leaderboard. "Maybe that just freed me up. I just let go. . . . I don't know if I ever putted that good in my entire life."Wilson earned a reputation as a fast starter when he won in Hawaii and Phoenix during the first five weeks of last season. He also gets a boost from his offseason connection to the Coachella Valley, including a membership at the Ironwood Country Club near his in-laws' home in Palm Desert."It's always been very good to me, and then Q-school has been good to me in the desert," Wilson said. "I get a lot of good vibes here."Toms shot a fairly pedestrian 65 on the Nicklaus course with a second straight day of steady play — but not everybody chewed up the three courses. Toms' playing partner, Phil Mickelson, shot a 69, but remained well back of the leaders after opening with a 74."I'm excited about how I was playing heading into this tournament, but I had a big slap in the face with my first two scores," said Mickelson.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Wilson fires 62 to grab share of Humana lead
LA, Quinta California — When Mark Wilson got to 8 under through 11 holes on the Palmer Private course Friday, he seriously discussed golf's magic number with playing partner Harrison Frazar, who once shot a 59 on another Humana Challenge course.Tearing it up: Mark Wilson hits his tee shot on the 16th hole during the second round of the Humana Challenge in La Quinta, California, on Friday. Wilson shot a 62 and is tied for the lead. AP"I don't know why the conversation went there . . . but I thought about it," Wilson said.Wilson ended up posting the lowest score of his career, and that 62 wasn't even the best round of the day in the desert. Bob Hope's name is no longer on this reformatted tournament, but its tradition of stunningly low scores is still going strong.Wilson pulled even with Ben Crane and David Toms at 16-under 128 to share a three-stroke lead after the second round of the Humana Challenge on Friday, topping a leaderboard covered with bogey-free rounds and personal bests.Extremely low numbers always dominate the erstwhile Bob Hope Classic, which features two of the PGA Tour's three easiest courses. Add a second day of ideal Palm Springs weather, and exceptional play is necessary just to stay in contention.For example, Ryan Moore tied the Nicklaus course record with a 61, yet he was still five strokes back of the lead — and he wasn't even among 23 players who played bogey-free rounds Friday."Everything has been much improved, and we got a much better field because of it," said Crane, who had just 48 putts in his first two rounds. "This is a great place for players to start their year, because it's like playing indoors."To illustrate his point, Crane mimed his caddie picking grass blades and dropping them from shoulder height."I'm like, 'Where's the wind?' " Crane said. "He's like, 'I don't know.' I'm like, 'OK, let's just hit a normal shot here.' "Crane shot a 63 on the three-course tournament's Palmer Private course, and Toms had a 65 on the Nicklaus Private course to match Wilson at 16-under 128. Rookie Harris English had a 62 on the Nicklaus Private course to join five players in fourth place at 13 under."That's what you've got to do out here," said English, the University of Georgia graduate playing his sixth round on the PGA Tour. "Put it in the fairway and then try to go out and get after it. I was getting my putter hot, and it was a lot of fun."Moore tied Charlie Wi's 2009 record on the Nicklaus course despite starting with consecutive bogeys on his second and third holes before an eagle on the fourth. He then birdied 11 of 12 holes, including six straight around the turn."Really the last thing I remember was being 2 over through three, and then I just walked off the 18th hole," said Moore, who rose 103 spots on the leaderboard. "Maybe that just freed me up. I just let go. . . . I don't know if I ever putted that good in my entire life."Wilson earned a reputation as a fast starter when he won in Hawaii and Phoenix during the first five weeks of last season. He also gets a boost from his offseason connection to the Coachella Valley, including a membership at the Ironwood Country Club near his in-laws' home in Palm Desert."It's always been very good to me, and then Q-school has been good to me in the desert," Wilson said. "I get a lot of good vibes here."Toms shot a fairly pedestrian 65 on the Nicklaus course with a second straight day of steady play — but not everybody chewed up the three courses. Toms' playing partner, Phil Mickelson, shot a 69, but remained well back of the leaders after opening with a 74."I'm excited about how I was playing heading into this tournament, but I had a big slap in the face with my first two scores," said Mickelson.
Tearing it up: Mark Wilson hits his tee shot on the 16th hole during the second round of the Humana Challenge in La Quinta, California, on Friday. Wilson shot a 62 and is tied for the lead. AP"I don't know why the conversation went there . . . but I thought about it," Wilson said.Wilson ended up posting the lowest score of his career, and that 62 wasn't even the best round of the day in the desert. Bob Hope's name is no longer on this reformatted tournament, but its tradition of stunningly low scores is still going strong.Wilson pulled even with Ben Crane and David Toms at 16-under 128 to share a three-stroke lead after the second round of the Humana Challenge on Friday, topping a leaderboard covered with bogey-free rounds and personal bests.Extremely low numbers always dominate the erstwhile Bob Hope Classic, which features two of the PGA Tour's three easiest courses. Add a second day of ideal Palm Springs weather, and exceptional play is necessary just to stay in contention.For example, Ryan Moore tied the Nicklaus course record with a 61, yet he was still five strokes back of the lead — and he wasn't even among 23 players who played bogey-free rounds Friday."Everything has been much improved, and we got a much better field because of it," said Crane, who had just 48 putts in his first two rounds. "This is a great place for players to start their year, because it's like playing indoors."To illustrate his point, Crane mimed his caddie picking grass blades and dropping them from shoulder height."I'm like, 'Where's the wind?' " Crane said. "He's like, 'I don't know.' I'm like, 'OK, let's just hit a normal shot here.' "Crane shot a 63 on the three-course tournament's Palmer Private course, and Toms had a 65 on the Nicklaus Private course to match Wilson at 16-under 128. Rookie Harris English had a 62 on the Nicklaus Private course to join five players in fourth place at 13 under."That's what you've got to do out here," said English, the University of Georgia graduate playing his sixth round on the PGA Tour. "Put it in the fairway and then try to go out and get after it. I was getting my putter hot, and it was a lot of fun."Moore tied Charlie Wi's 2009 record on the Nicklaus course despite starting with consecutive bogeys on his second and third holes before an eagle on the fourth. He then birdied 11 of 12 holes, including six straight around the turn."Really the last thing I remember was being 2 over through three, and then I just walked off the 18th hole," said Moore, who rose 103 spots on the leaderboard. "Maybe that just freed me up. I just let go. . . . I don't know if I ever putted that good in my entire life."Wilson earned a reputation as a fast starter when he won in Hawaii and Phoenix during the first five weeks of last season. He also gets a boost from his offseason connection to the Coachella Valley, including a membership at the Ironwood Country Club near his in-laws' home in Palm Desert."It's always been very good to me, and then Q-school has been good to me in the desert," Wilson said. "I get a lot of good vibes here."Toms shot a fairly pedestrian 65 on the Nicklaus course with a second straight day of steady play — but not everybody chewed up the three courses. Toms' playing partner, Phil Mickelson, shot a 69, but remained well back of the leaders after opening with a 74."I'm excited about how I was playing heading into this tournament, but I had a big slap in the face with my first two scores," said Mickelson.
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