The Daily Wrap-up, Round 2: Buick Invitational
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Camilo Villegas accomplished his goal Friday in the Buick Invitational, keeping it around par and keeping the lead while playing the tough South Course in all the elements a golfer dreads, from rain to wind to cold.
John Rollins was one shot behind, and achieved more than anyone imagined.
On a tough day for scoring, Rollins holed out a 9-iron for eagle and made six birdies on his way to an 8-under 64 that at least gave Villegas some company heading into the weekend.
Villegas teed off in a steady rain, and when he reached the exposed holes along the Pacific bluffs, more rain arrived equipped with gusts up to 25 mph that made the San Diego weather feel more like Sun Valley. But he scrambled for pars, took advantage of a few par 5s and wound up with a 70 that put him at 11-under 133.
"I looked at my caddie walking down the 10th fairway -- it was just pouring -- and I told him, 'Listen, let's find a way to keep it around par and maybe get it in the red numbers,'" Villegas said. "I scrambled pretty good and 2 under, I'm happy with it."
Villegas was among the early starters, and his solid round made it look as if this Buick Invitational might turn into a runaway. That changed when Rollins played the front nine (he started on No. 10) in 31.
"When I saw he was at 11 (under), I was just trying to get in position to be in the last couple of groups, just staying in the mix," Rollins said. "It just so happened things started going in."
He caught Villegas at 11 under with a birdie on the par-3 eighth and had a chance to match the South Course record since 2002 -- when Rees Jones first began to lengthen the course for the U.S. Open -- until a bogey on the par-5 ninth.
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GRITTY GORE FINDS HIMSELF IN HUNT
By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM Chief of Correspondents
SAN DIEGO -- Jason Gore had just come out of the scorer's trailer on the final day of q-school last December.
Minutes earlier, he had three-putted the 108th hole to fall two shots shy of earning his PGA TOUR card. Gore hoisted his English Bulldog puppy, an adorable wrinkled mass of fur named Brooks, on his shoulder and patiently answered every prying question.
Two months later, Gore again faced the media Friday after signing his scorecard at the midway point of the Buick Invitational. This time, though, the affable Californian was in a much better place -- although Brooks was nowhere to be found.
Gore had just birdied his final hole to shoot 69 on the North Course at Torrey Pines. He was five strokes off the lead held by Camilo Villegas and in a tie for sixth with Mathew Goggin, Bubba Watson, Harrison Frazar and Luke Donald.
Not bad for the proud man who suddenly finds himself writing for sponsors exemptions after finishing 134th on the PGA TOUR money list last year.
"It's only after 36, still only halfway through, but it feels better, for sure," Gore said with a smile. "I think in the offseason I tried to make a commitment. I'm tired of being average. I think I'm better than that.
"I got in the gym, started working on my golf swing. I just don't want to be middle of the road anymore. ... But it's what you've got to do. If you don't, someone's passing you. This is just 36 holes of pretty gritty golf for me."
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| Friday's Best |
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The par-5 sixth on the South Course at Torrey Pines was the easiest with a scoring average of 4.403.
The par-4 first hole on the South Course at Torrey Pines was the toughest with a scoring average of 4.468
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After hitting his tee shot out of bounds, Retief Goosen made an unbelievable birdie on the par-4 fourth hole. 
John Rollins had seven birdies and an eagle in a round of 8-under 64 on the South Course at Torrey Pines. | QUOTE OF THE DAY | ||
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INSIDE THE ROPES WITH THE PGA TOUR NETWORK
PGA TOUR Network correspondent Bob Stevens offers these observations from Friday's action. Listen to PGA TOUR Live coverage on XM 146/SIRIUS 209 or right here at PGATOUR.com.
Watching Camilo Villegas play his first 36 holes has been a lesson in mature course management. He's missed a ton of fairways, but always in the best places to recover from. He's also shown an array of shots that will serve him well if the weather is dicey on Saturday. One of those is a low punch shot into the wind that he's used with three or four different clubs that has been very effective in battling the breezes and keeping him out of trouble.
However, there might be storm clouds on Camilo's horizon if he doesn't fix his driving issues. He hit only six fairways on the North Course Thursday, but the rough there isn't nearly as deep as it is on the South Course. He hit only four fairways Friday and needed a shovel to dig himself out of the deep rough on three of his last four holes. After that second-round 70, he said he was headed directly to the range to correct his driving issues. Watch (and listen) for the results on Saturday.
PGA TOUR players are incredibly focused during their rounds, yet somehow are amazingly in-tune with what their fellow competitors are up to at the same time. When Padraig Harrington hit a wonderful chip at the par-5 seventh out of deep rough to within a foot for a birdie that got him inside the cut, Villegas was the first one to offer him a wry smile of approval, which was met by a broad grin from the Irishman. Just a couple of guys appreciating each other's work.
| What the top finishers said... | ||||||||||||||||
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| Read full interview transcripts | |||
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SECOND-ROUND NOTEBOOK: BUICK INVITATIONAL
By Doug Milne, PGA TOUR Staff
SAN DIEGO -- Because more than 78 players made the 36-hole cut of 2 over, a secondary cut will be in effect following Saturday's third round to cut the field to the low-70 and ties. This marks the second straight year that 85 players have made the first cut. The last time fewer than 80 players made the cut at the Buick Invitational was in 2003 (75 players).
• Even though he played the more difficult South Course, Camilo Villegas continued to lead the pack in Round 2 of the Buick Invitational following a 2-under 70, good for a one-stroke lead over John Rollins.
• Villegas has previously held at least a share of the 36-hole lead four times. He tied for second at the 2006 Ford Championship at Doral, tied for fifth at the 2006 RBC Canadian Open, tied for 34th at the 2008 FBR Open and went on to win the 2008 BMW Championship.
• History reveals that holding the 36-hole lead at the Buick Invitational isn't necessarily the best position to be in when eyeing victory. Dating back to 1995, just four 36-hole leaders have gone on to win at Torrey Pines: Tiger Woods in 2008, Phil Mickelson in 2000 and 2001, and Mark O'Meara in 1997.
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