How two brothers went from ‘Dumb and Dumber’ to winning the Masters

LAS VEGAS — J.J. Spaun shot a 6-under 65 on Friday at breezy TPC Summerlin to take the lead in the suspended second round of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Spaun rebounded from a bogey on the par-4 third with birdies on the par-4 fourth and par-3 fifth and closed with a birdie on the par-5 ninth to get to 11-under 131. “I think we were just real deliberate on our numbers out there,” Spaun said. “It’s super swirly, windy. … Out here you’ve got so many undulations around the greens and you’ve got tight hazards next to the pins and the greens, so it’s crucial to get the right number, and we did that well today. That kind of set us up for having a bunch of looks out there.” Kelly Kraft was second at 8 under with three holes left when play was suspended for the day because of darkness. He had a hole-in-one on par-3 fifth, using a 6-iron on the 174-yard hole. Spaun is making his third start of the season after finishing 97th in the FedExCup standings. He missed the cut in the opener at Silverado and tied for 34th last week in Mississippi. “I’m putting well, I’m hitting it well, I’m just trying to play simple golf,” Spaun said. “I know it’s not going to be easy on the weekend, but just trying to keep things in perspective and stay within myself and give myself a shot on Sunday.” Robert Garrigus was four strokes back at 7 under after a 65. “I really didn’t swing it as good as I wanted to off the tee,” Garrigus said. “I was hitting some squirrelly shots, but the putter worked really well today, which can cure a lot of things.” Aaron Baddeley and Patton Kizzire each shot 66 to get to 6 under, and Round 1 leader Whee Kim was 5 under after a 72. “It was windy today,” Baddeley said. “There were a couple holes there where it was like a two- or three-club wind, which is really unusual here in Vegas. But it’s just nice because it really brings out the good ball-hitters and also the people who can be patient in this type of weather.” Charley Hoffman was 3 under after a 71 in his hometown event. Bubba Watson is in position to make the cut on the number at 1 over in his first event of season, shooting 72-71. Defending champion Rod Pampling also was 1 over after a 73.

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CARNOUSTIE, Scotland – Rory McIlroy’s return to the site of his first Open Championship has been rejuvenating. Seeing images of himself competing as a mop-topped amateur has reminded him of the care-free approach he once had. Expectations can be a heavy burden, and they’ve caused McIlroy to be too tense in the majors this year. He failed to seize the opportunity when he played his way into the final group at the Masters, then shot himself out of the U.S. Open before half the field had even teed off in the first round. “I’ve been a little too careful and too tentative,� he said. “Last day at Augusta, even the first day at Shinnecock, I was holding on a little too much. This week, one of my main thoughts is just to get it go. Just go out there and give it your all. I’d rather fail by trying 100 percent than by holding back. So far, it seems to have worked. McIlroy has opened The Open Championship with consecutive 69s to enter the weekend in contention for his second Claret Jug despite playing in the harder half of the draw. He shot 2 under par Friday while playing through the worst of the rain. Many players have been hitting irons off the tee at Carnoustie, using the firm fairways to roll their balls to the proper spot and avoid the penal pot bunkers. McIlroy didn’t want to be cautious, though. He wanted to rely on the best club in his bag, the driver. Friday’s rain forced him to abandon that plan, but the weekend’s sunny forecast should allow him to return to it. “With the dampness and the cold, a lot of fairway bunkers were in play with driver, where, if it’s dry and a little warmer, you’re flying those bunkers,� he said. “If the conditions do change and go back to the way they were yesterday, I’d see myself hitting a lot more drivers again. McIlroy, the 2016 FedExCup champion, is seeking his first major in four years. He won both The Open and PGA Championship in 2014, giving him four major victories in a four-year span. He has made just three bogeys through 36 holes at Carnoustie, where he was low amateur 11 years ago. He had four birdies and two bogeys Friday. “It was definitely a day where, don’t shoot yourself out of the tournament instead of trying to press on and build a lead or get an advantage,� McIlroy said. OBSERVATIONS Zach Johnson has already won one Claret Jug and been a consistent contender at The Open Championship. Over the past seven Opens, he has finished in the top 16 in six of them. “I feel like this championship more than any tournament completely magnifies exactly what I need to work on, my strengths and weaknesses,� he said. “Once I learned that – I don’t know if it was the first year or the second year or the third year – I just gravitated towards this style of golf. Johnson is back in contention at The Open after shooting 69-67 in the first two rounds. Johnson’s links career didn’t get off to a strong start. The Iowa native missed the cut in his first three Opens, shooting over par in five of those six rounds. He hasn’t missed a cut here since. He first played the weekend in an Open at Carnoustie in 2007, shooting 68-70 on the weekend to finish T20. He doesn’t remember much about that week, though. “The only shot I remember hitting here was an 8-iron on the eighth hole, which is a par-3, and I hit it out of bounds,� Johnson said. “I remember making the cut and thinking, ‘Man, this is good. Finally.’ He’s had a lot of success in the Open since, and it continued Friday.

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