New Zealander Ryan Fox hits an approach shot on the 11th hole during the second round of the 125th US Open, at Oakmont Country Club on Friday 13 June, in Pennsylvania.
Photo: ROSS KINNAIRD
New Zealand golfer Ryan Fox has endured an up-and-down day, at the second round of the US Open, at Oakmont in Pennsylvania.
Fox won the Canadian Open on 9 June, his second PGA title after winning his first just over a month ago, on 11 May at the Myrtle Beach Classic] in South Carolina.
At Oakmont, starting on the back nine, six shots off the lead, Fox started superbly with a birdie at the par four tenth, but quickly gave the advantage back, by dropping a shot at the 11th.
Two more birdies were to follow as he completed his first nine holes, at the par-three 13th and the par-four 15th, but these were countered by bogeys the 14th and 18th.
The front nine proved tougher for Fox, as wasn’t able to secure any birdies.
Bogeys at the first, second and sixth holes saw him finish with a three over 75, and dropped him back to five-over for the tournament.
But with the projected cut line at seven over, Fox is looking good for weekend play at Oakmont.
Meantime, Frenchman Victor Perez has carded the first hole-in-one at this year’s tournament, aceing the par-3 sixth.
Perez’s ace was the first in a US Open at the Oakmont Country Club since Scott Simpson accomplished the feat in 1983 during the first round at the par-3 16th hole.
Victor Perez of France plays his shot from the third tee during the second round of the 125th US Open, at Oakmont Country Club on Friday, in Pennsylvania.
Photo: GREGORY SHAMUS
Taking aim at the 192-yard hole, Perez used his seven-iron to fire a shot that landed approximately 15 feet (4.5m) short of the cup. The ball bounced three times on the green before curling into the hole.
Perez, 32, raised his arms in the air and chest-bumped his caddie James Erkenbeck.
The ace was the first on the PGA Tour for Perez and the 54th in US Open history.
Perez, ranked 99th in the world and a three-time winner on the DP World Tour, shot even-par 70 for the second round and resides at 1-over for the tournament.
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