Ogilvie leads by two halfway through U.S. Bank Championship  MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Joe Ogilvie is a devout follower of the stock market.  Joe Ogilvie believes his stock could skyrocket with a win in Milwaukee. (Darren Hauck/AP)
But the Duke graduate with an economics degree isn't so sure about his own worth heading into the weekend at the U.S. Bank Championship. "I've been beaten down pretty much this whole year, so I couldn't get much cheaper, I guess, from a stock standpoint," said Ogilvie, who shot a 63 on Friday and was at 10-under 130 after two rounds at Brown Deer Park Golf Course. "It's been sort of an off year." Ogilvie has made seven straight cuts, but hasn't had anything close to a top 10 finish. "I haven't played great since I've made the cut," said Ogilvie, who birdied three of the final four holes. First-round co-leader Jeff Maggert shot a 69 was at 8-under along with Garrett Willis (68). Steve Flesch (64), Tim Clark (65), Tim Herron (67), Billy Mayfair (64), Bob Heintz (64) and Craig Bowden (67) were three strokes behind. "One under par is actually fortunate," Maggert said. "It could have been a little worse. It's just one of those days. Sometimes you get out of your rhythm a little bit and start struggling." Ogilvie, 33, is in the field in Milwaukee for the first time since 2002 after playing in two Open Championships and having three children in the meantime. He's never won on the PGA TOUR, but has three seconds. "If Tiger Woods wins the British Open and I win the U.S. Bank Championship, I certainly think it would be a bigger win for me than for Tiger," Ogilvie said. "I think anybody who wins for the first time no matter what tournament it is is their biggest tournament. It may not say major championship and people may not label it a major championship, but your first win is your first major, especially on the PGA TOUR." Flesch said he's been tinkering with his putting stance in the middle of the round trying to gain an advantage. He is looking win for the first time in three years on tour. "I think we place so much attention on fundamentals," Flesch said. "The worse you putt, you begin to get so analytical. I'll probably do two or three (different) things again tomorrow." Willis is also trying out a new strategy. Frustrated with missing three straight Nationwide Tour cuts, he's now just focused on not being aggressive, no matter if he has an opportunity to win on Sunday. "It's actually been a blessing and an eye-opener playing the way I've been playing, trying to force the issue," said Willis, who got his only PGA TOUR win in 2001. "It's almost forced me to take a step back, relax a little bit and play high percentage shots." Tony Finau has not been using that strategy. Ultra aggressive, the 17-year-old Monday qualifier from Utah hits some of the longest drives and has largest gallery followings. He needed a big rally on Friday to stay through the weekend and finished with a 65 to finish on the cut line at even-par 140. Finau, the high school graduate who turned down a scholarship from BYU, said he got tips in the parking lot from Billy Andrade on Thursday evening after he shot a 5-over 75 to put him in a tie for 122nd. "He was like, 'Just take what you have,'" Finau said of Andrade's advice. "He told me to come out here today and play golf like you normally do." On Friday, he drove the ball 369 yards over water and onto the green at the par-4 16th. "Everybody on the tee, when I pulled out the driver, they're like, 'Ooooooh!'" Finau said. "I pulled it out and aimed right in the center of the green, I hit the perfect shot like I wanted. It worked out." The 6-foot-4 Finau missed his 18-foot eagle putt, settling for a tap-in birdie, but other pros have taken notice. "I saw him hit some balls on the range, he's phenomenal," Flesch said. "It's a cannon. It's cool. Good for him." Defending champion Corey Pavin missed the cut by two strokes after a 3-over 73 on Friday. Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. |
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