Justin Thomas, Harris English share lead at Sentry Tournament of Champions

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Chalk up another victory for Friday the 13th. Kelly Kraft of Dallas was cruising inside the cut line at the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town on Friday when a freak bird strike potentially scuttled his chances of playing into the weekend. Kraft made what he described as clean contact at the 192-yard, par-3 14th hole only to watch his ball glance off a “giant, black bird� and plop into the water hazard in front of the green. The bird flew away.  “It cost me the cut, most likely,� Kraft said. “There was a helping wind, and I hit a 7-iron, caught it perfect. It was probably 30 yards off the tee box and this giant, black bird swooped in front of it and hit it and the ball fell 20 yards short in the water. It would’ve been in the middle of the green. It might have been close. I got screwed.� A bird strike on the course is so rare that Kraft, playing with Robert Garrigus and Michael Thompson, initially wasn’t sure what to do. None of them were. They needed a ruling. “Robert Garrigus came running up to me first,� said Mark Dusbabek, one of the PGA TOUR rules officials on site. “He said, ‘His ball hit a bird in flight! That’s a cancel-and-replay, right?’� It was not. The cancel-and-replay rule is invoked if a ball hits a permanent, elevated power line, but not a bird. “The big difference is a bird is a God-made object,� said Dillard Pruitt, another TOUR rules official on site. “Whereas a telephone wire is man-made. It’s just a stroke of bad luck. It doesn’t happen very often, but today is Friday the 13th. Freaky Friday.�  Dusbabek said Gary Woodland hit a bird at the CIMB Classic last fall, which turned out to be a good break as his ball landed on the green. Although a seagull once plucked Brad Fabel’s ball off the green and dropped it in the water at THE PLAYERS Championship, he was allowed to replace it thanks to Rule 18-1. “The difference there was the ball was at rest,� Pruitt said, “and this one you just don’t know where it would’ve gone. It could’ve gone in the water or it could have gone in the hole.� Kraft believes it was going on the green. He bounced back with birdies on the 17th and first holes, but bogeyed the seventh hole to wind up at 1-over, most likely one shot outside the cut line. “It’s kind of a dumb rule that you can’t re-tee there,� Kraft said. “If you hit a power line, you can re-tee, and if a bird moves your ball while it’s resting you can replace it. But there’s nothing you can do about this. This has got to be more unusual than a hole-in-one. Two moving objects colliding? I mean you hit balls all day long on the range and you don’t hit another ball in the air.�

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Here are nine tidbits from the second round of the 147th Open Championship gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. Carnoustie Golf Links in Angus, Scotland, United Kingdom, plays to par-71 (36-35) and is hosting for the eighth time. Pain or Gain These were the top-10 selected golfers (plus one) in the PGA TOUR Fantasy One & Done presented by SERVPRO: The cut landed on 3-over-par 145 as 79 will advance to the weekend. There will not be a secondary cut. Morning rain slightly softened the brick-hard fairways but the absence of wind throughout the day was the difference. People’s Choice After posting the lowest round of the tournament at the U.S. Open (63), Tommy Fleetwood is at it again. The Englishman signed for a bogey-free 65 to post the lowest round after 36 holes. His stats give us an insight to what is and isn’t important this week. He’s found only 16 of 30 fairways (T68) but has painted 27 of 36 GIR (T4). The drought has eliminated the rough from being penal as premium ball-strikers are finding greens from places other than the sprinkler line. It didn’t hurt that he needed six fewer putts in Round 2 (32 to 26) as he leapt 47 spots to T3. Hugh Essay The American duo of 18-hole leader Kevin Kisner and 2015 Open Champion Zach Johnson sit on top after 36 holes on 6-under-par 136. Kisner could have had the outright lead but his risk was not rewarded on his final hole. Playing from the rough he went for the green but found the Barry Burn and ended up with double-bogey six. Kisner’s red-hot putter continued to behave as he took just 29 putts in Round 2 after 22 in Round 1. … Johnson is looking to become the only player in history to win the Masters and The Open Championships at both St. Andrew’s and Carnoustie. No pressure dude! Johnson followed up his very solid afternoon round of 69 with 67 in the earlier (read: tougher) rounds Friday. He’s on the wrong side of the draw and has played the final four holes in 2 under over the first 36. Impressive. Spectrum Ends Justin Rose was the only player from the top three in the OWGR rankings to survive to the weekend. He needed a birdie at the last to claim a spot and he came through to give his investors a chance. This was the second day running that he birdied the final hole but the bad news he only has one other birdie on the card. He’s nine back of the leaders as he tries to make up ground Saturday. … Rory McIlroy joined Johnson and Pat Perez (T3) as the only players to post both rounds in the 60’s. Playing from the more difficult side of the draw as well, McIlroy’s matching 69’s have him just two shots back (T6). The last time he opened with two rounds in the 60’s in a major championship he went on to claim victory. He’s my O&D this week so let’s hope this trend continues. Backing a Back-to-Back Brooks Koepka didn’t feel any love as he defended his U.S. Open crown at Shinnecock Hills last month. With his wrist injury long-forgotten and second U.S. Open crown on the shelf, that’s hardly the case this week. He’s trying to emulate Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods as the only players in the last 50 years to win the U.S. Open and The Open Championship in the same season. His 69 moved him up 32 spots to T18 entering the weekend as he’s just five back. His 10 birdies for the week are the second most but it will be the two doubles in Round 1 that keep him up at night. Swedish Fishing Gamers who kept their faith in Henrik Stenson were rewarded, barely, as he made the weekend on the number. His second round 75 included just nine of 18 GIR and produced just one birdie. He’ll need to sharpen his blades to move up Saturday. … Alex Noren held his place at T18 after even-par 71 also in the rain Friday morning. After going out in 38 on the normally easier front nine he rallied to play his last 10 holes in 2 under to break even. He finished T6 last year at Royal Birkdale for his best-ever payday in a major championship. Tiger Trails With six birdies against six bogeys Tiger Woods remains in the hunt entering the weekend six shots behind the leaders (T29). His plan to minimize the use of the driver has lengthened the course for him but he’s still T2 GIR. Gamers are still waiting for the break-out round from Woods in a major. If the weekend forecast (marginal wind) holds he’ll need it sooner rather than later if he’s going to contend. MC HOF For the first time since the 2016 U.S. Open at Erin Hills and the first time since The Open Championship in 2011 the Nos. 1 and 2 players in the OWGR will not play the weekend. Dustin Johnson couldn’t dig out after 76 in Round 1 as he would have needed to play his final two holes in Round 2 in 1 under. He closed bogey-double to comfortably miss. … Justin Thomas began Round 2 tied for eighth place but two late bogeys saw him sign for 77 to miss by a shot. This was third consecutive year he opened with a round in the 60’s and followed it with a round of 77 or worse. … The cut also claimed Jon Rahm after 69-78, Bubba Watson, Hideki Matsuyama and Sergio Garcia. Study Hall The Round 1 scoring average was 73.160 (+2.160) but Round 2 was 72.806 (+1.806) as the afternoon winds, as called for, were hardly a factor. … Fleetwood’s 65 was the only bogey-free round of the day and the event.  … Scotland’s Sam Locke was the only amateur to make the weekend and will claim the Silver Medal for low amateur. … Chez Reavie leads the field in fairways hit with 23 of 30 but won’t hit another as he missed the cut by a shot. … Danny Willett leads the field in GIR as he’s found 30 of 36 and is T14. … Tony Finau has made one more birdie than Koepka as he’s lurking at T6. … The Barbasol Championship was in a weather delay at the time of publishing. Troy Merritt (-15) backed up his 62 in Round 1 with 67 in Round 2 to lead Billy Horschel by two shots. The afternoon wave is still on the course when play resumes. 

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Australian golfer Lucas Herbert completed a wire-to-wire victory at the Irish Open on Sunday, shooting 4-under 68 in the final round to win by three strokes.

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