Published>Sat, Jul 24 10 08:17 AM
Tim Clark finally put a familiar name atop the Canadian Open leaderboard on Friday grabbing a share of the second round lead with Dean Wilson after a bogey free six-under 64.
Until the South African's name popped up late in the day to help push unheralded American Brent Delahoussaye from top spot, the $5.1 million event had been dominated by unknown names and faces.
Even Wilson, a journeyman American whose only PGA Tour win was in 2006, would qualify for celebrity status on a mostly anonymous leaderboard as many of the tournament's bigger names were near the bottom, with Briton Paul Casey, American Sean O'Hair and Canada's Mike Weir all failing to make the cut.
For the second consecutive day Wilson returned a five-under 65 to leave him level with Clark on 10-under 130.
Delahoussaye, who fired a course record 62 to secure a two shot overnight lead, slipped back with a one-under 69 to sit one stroke off the pace alongside compatriot Steve Wheatcroft (66).
"I certainly didn't expect to be scoring on this course," said Clark, who collected his maiden PGA Tour win earlier this year with a victory at the Players Championship.
"I felt like it was going to be pretty tough but I've been hitting the driver pretty well and driving the fairway I think is huge on this golf course."
Overnight rain that delayed the start of second round play for two hours left St. George's Golf Club defenceless with soft welcoming greens and lift, clean and place rules in effect allowing golfers to attack the pins.
Kevin Sutherland took full advantage of the conditions shooting an eight-under 62 to match Delahoussaye's first round.
Sutherland mixed seven birdies with an eagle and a bogey to help undo some of the damage of an opening round 73 to move into contention five shots behind the leaders.
The Stanley Thompson-layout with its tree-lined fairways, jungle like rough and undulating greens had been expected to provide a tricky test with many in the field predicting a score of between 10-to-12-under-par would be good enough to win.
"If you're driving the ball in the fairway, with the greens being soft it's not that hard," said Sutherland. "But if you get in the rough, it's going to beat you up.
"I got off to an unbelievable start, when you're five-under after four holes it leads to a pretty good day usually."
It was anything but a good day for Casey, who was unable to carry any momentum from his British Open third place finish, returning a three-over 73 to miss the cut by two shots.
O'Hair joined Casey on one-over 141 after limping to a second round 71, while Weir slumped to a four-over 74 and two-round total of 146.
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