Geoff Ogilvy has boosted hopes of not only of capturing a ninth PGA Tour title but also securing a place in this year’s Open Championship.
The recently turned 40-year old brilliantly turned back the clock grabbing six birdies in a five-under par 65 and muscle his way into second place on day two of the Quicken Loans on the TPC Potomac course in Maryland.
It left the proud Australian trailing just two shots behind pint sized Swede David Lingmerth who leads on 10-under with a par of 65s.
Ogilvy’s day two effort is the second week running he has shot a 65 on day two of a Tour event after shooting a six-under 65 in the second round of last week’s Travelers Championship.
“It was good morning and if you had given me 5 under before I started, I would have obviously taken it”, he said.
Geoff Ogilvy moves into 2nd day two Quicken Loans.
“It is a pretty tough course. I mean, it is very doable if you are hitting good shots. The greens are immaculate, and if you hit good putts, they will all go in. And they are relatively easy to read because the slopes are so severe. It’ hard to hit on that line, but you can see what it’s going to do, if that makes sense. So yeah, it was nice.
“But then 7:15 is pretty early. You’ve got to get out of bed pretty early, but once you get out here it’s always nice. It was the perfect morning to play golf. Birdied 10, parred 11, which is a bonus. Then I snuck one on 12, too.
“It’s always nice to be under before you’re over on a course this hard. Yeah, just played well after that. I mean, I didn’t hit it amazingly close to the hole too much, but I birdied the holes I was kind of supposed to. I hit it on the second green in two and made birdie and hit it pretty close on 4, made birdie. The rest of it was just kind of solid, middle of the green kind of nice two putts”.
Ogilvy last tasted success in capturing the 2014 Barracuda Championship and conducted the same week, and as it the case again this year, as the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational.
Since then the 2006 U.S. Open winner has fought hard to regain the consistency but has had just three top 1os since his last taste of Stateside success.
And then in a bizarre question post his second round, Ogilvy was basically asked why was he competing in Maryland when many of the game’s leading players were making plans to cross “The Pond” to compete in events leading up to and including the July 20th commencing Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
“Well, one, I am not in the British Open yet”, he said. “This event is one of the qualifiers for it. This is where my what we were just talking about, I have to get the job done here. Back in the day when I was top 15 in the world, you have long term exemptions, I would have considered going to play France this week.
“France is a great tournament, a great course, links like. Every year I imagine I will take the family and go there because it is a great tournament. But anyone who this is really their home tour and this is really your bread and butter, I have to stay here I think.”
To secure a place, and in what would be his 13th Open Championship he needs to either win this week in Maryland or being among the leading three not otherwise exempt into golf’s Major.
