English takes charge as Mickelson exits Torrey Pines

LA JOLLA - Local favourite Phil Mickelson has joined Tiger Woods as a weekend casualty as the five-time major winner failed to make the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines on Friday.

Mickelson backed up his 74 on the South course from round one with an even-par 72 on the easier North Course on Friday to be left at two-over and headed for the exit door Woods went through on Thursday with a back injury.

The San Diego native was 12 shots off the pace of fellow American Harris English, who put together a six-under 66 on the North course to push out to 10-under 134 and a two-shot lead late in the second round.

"I take a lot of positives from today. I hit the ball well, made some really good putts and hit some good wedge shots," English said.

He is bogey free through two rounds, the first time a player has accomplished the feat at the tournament in four years.

"I was very excited about that yesterday," Harris said. "Especially coming out this morning and having to finish some holes (from the first round) kind of in the cold and it's good to make some of those six-footers coming out for par."

American Nick Watney put together a 65 on the North and Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas a solid 69 to move to eight-under and a share of second with Briton Martin Laird (68).

But for Mickelson it was a day to forget with two bogeys in his first five holes.

He pegged them back with back-to-back birdies on the 16th and 17th, his seventh and eighth holes, and gave fans hope with a birdie on the second, his 11th.

But he played the last seven holes one over, joining Woods, world number five Justin Rose, the returning Dustin Johnson, Luke Donald and Jordan Spieth as high profile casualties.

"It's very frustrating for me right now," Mickelson said. "I felt really ready to start the year and these first few weeks have been very poor.

"I feel like I'm hitting the ball tee to green quite well, really well, but my putting is beyond pathetic and if I can't get back to the levels of 2013, I'm not sure what I'm going to do, because this is very frustrating."

Johnson, who spent six-months on a voluntary leave of absence for personal rehabilitation, missed the cut by a shot.

"I was just a little bit off but I still played pretty well," Johnson said.

"I had a lots of putts that could have gone in, but didn't. But I hung in there and fought pretty hard. Just a little rusty that's all." (Editing by Gene Cherry/Nick Mulvenney)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Thompson tops Torrey as wounded Tiger quits again

LA JOLLA - Former world number one Tiger Woods withdrew after 11 holes of his opening round at the Farmers Insurance Open on Thursday because of a back complaint, with American compatriot Nicholas Thompson leading the way at Torrey Pines.

Woods, coming off his worst score as a professional at the Phoenix Open last week, had been favouring his back throughout his round after being forced to sit and wait out a lengthy fog delay.

The 14-times major winner, who continued to struggle with his swing and short game, was two-over-par on the North course when he decided to pull out, his third withdrawal in his last nine tournaments.

Thompson headed the field with an eight-under-par 64 on the North course, good enough for a one shot lead over Michael Thompson, who shot 65 on the same layout. Forty two players failed to finish their round before darkness fell.

Phoenix Open winner Brooks Koepka and Cameron Tringale shared third at six-under on the North, while Columbian Jhonattan Vegas had arguably the best round of the day as the only one of six players at five-under who played the South course.

Woods was due on the tee after an already lengthy delay before more Thursday fog rolled over the coastal course, causing another suspension.

"When we had that break. It just never loosened back up again. And when we went back out, it just got progressively tighter," Woods told reporters.

"It's frustrating that it started shutting down like that. I was ready to go. I had a good warm-up session the first time around.

"Then we stood out here and I got cold, and everything started deactivating again. And it's frustrating that I just can't stay activated."

FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel, who was playing with Woods, noticed something was wrong early in the round and even started picking up tees for him.

"If I didn't see it on 10 (their first hole), I saw it on 11," Horschel said.

"Then I asked him when I walked off 12 tee, I said: 'back hurting you again?' He said: 'Spasms'. It was unfortunate.

"He's a fighter. He wants to get the reps in, he wants to play well, and he kept trying to play through it, hoping that it would loosen up and I think it was getting there.

"It was real tough to see him walk and even make swings."

The 39-year-old Woods now has six withdrawals in 304 PGA tournament starts but all of them have come in the last five years. (benjamin.everill@gmail.com)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com