It was a day that began with a predawn flood that turned Cog Hill into Lake Cog. It reached a fever level, literally, by midday when the suffocating heat had golfers from Florida using an umbrella in the sunshine.
The day included the much anticipated return of Tiger mania, and standout play by local favorite Jeff Sluman, who had a following if not the mania.
Finally, the longest day ended with a player who never had led a PGA Tour event, finishing virtually alone under the predusk sky.
The PGA Tour’s motto is “Anything is possible,” and Friday it lived up to its billing.
When it was over, the Motorola Western Open leaderboard was as tight as the wet shirts that stuck to backs of the 36,000 fans at Cog Hill, with Tiger Woods hanging on by a shirttail.
Former Nike Tour player Joe Durant, with a 67, led the way at nine-under-par 135. Close behind are Vijay Singh (68) at 8-under, and new U.S. Open champ Lee Janzen (69) and Greg Kraft (70) at 7-under.
The contenders run even deeper with 13 golfers within five strokes of the lead, including Sluman of Burr Ridge, who shot 66 to offset a first-round 74.
Speaking of atonement, Woods, who appeared to shoot himself out of the tournament with an opening 76, turned the numbers and his game around with a 67 to stand at 1-under. He will need to go even lower to repeat as champion, but at least he will be around for the weekend.
As usual, Woods was big news, while Durant performed his work in obscurity. Then again, it is understandable because Durant’s biggest claim to fame in the PGA Tour media guide is that his house in Pensacola, Fla., was hit by hurricanes twice in the same year.
The 34-year-old Durant hasn’t exactly blown away pro golf, laboring mainly on the Nike Tour. So being in first place at the midway point of a PGA Tour event is a new experience for him.
“I’m always surprised to be leading,” said Durant, who has earned nearly $98,000 this year. “But I’ve been playing well. My game has just kind of been gradually getting better. So, to be leading is a surprise, but I’m not surprised.”
Durant took advantage of the relatively benign conditions in the late afternoon when the setting on the sauna went from steaming to just hot. With no winds and soft greens, Cog Hill suddenly became extremely vulnerable.
“The conditions were totally different than yesterday (when the course allowed only six rounds under 70),” Durant said. “The course was basically just sitting there for us.”
The experience wasn’t as pleasant earlier in the day. A wicked 3 a.m. storm had the Cog Hill staff pumping water out of traps and fairways, delaying the start of play for some 90 minutes. Then the sun came out, but the moisture remained, creating almost unbearably humid conditions. It got so bad that Janzen opened his umbrella to shield himself from the sun. He called it the hottest conditions he’s ever played in, and he’s from Orlando.
“I was losing it towards the early part of the second nine,” said Singh, who is from tropical Fiji. “My caddie said, `You just got to buckle down there and do it. This is the first time we’ve been in contention for a while. Don’t let it slip away.’ “
Singh didn’t, finishing with a 33 on the front nine (he started the round on the back nine). Kraft, the first-round leader, posted a pair of 35s for a steady if not spectacular round. Janzen continued his hot play with a round of four birdies and only one bogey.
Janzen is trying to pull an Ernie Els, who followed up his U.S. Open victory last year by winning the Buick Open the following weekend.
“Certainly that was one of the things I thought of coming in here,” Janzen said. “I think when you play well in one U.S. Open, your confidence is up. You can almost expect a guy to play well the next week after a big tournament like that.”
Woods just wanted to play well, period. He did Friday, but if he is going to repeat here, he will have to shoot a 63 or 64 over the weekend.
“If I could shoot something in the mid-60s both rounds and post it early,” Woods said, “who knows what could happen?”
As Friday proved, “Anything is possible.”
