Prugh and Couples Sure to Make Cut in Los Angeles

Friday, 05 February 2010

He would never suggest this himself of course, but Alex Prugh is making this PGA Tour thing look pretty easy. Just three and a half tournaments into his Tour career, the 25-year-old has already had two top-five finishes, and banked close to $400,000. Today at Riviera CC in suburban Los Angeles, Prugh made his fourth 36-hole cut in succession, shooting a second round two-under-par 69 to add to his opening 71. At 140, -2, he is currently tied for 21st, eight shots behind co-leaders Steve Stricker who shot 65 today, and Dustin Johnson who aced the Par 3 6th and completed just 16 holes before the weather caused an early end to the day.
Despite averaging just 243 yards off the tee, Prugh was actually three under for the round coming to the last having carded three birdies and 14 pars - a tremendous effort in terrible conditions. He pulled his drive left at the 18th, however, then pushed his approach short and right of the green. He failed to get up and down, thus recording his only bogey of the day. Even so, Prugh rose 34 places up the leader board, just one of 13 players, of the 87 that finished, to have completed their second round in the 60s.
Joining him in on the third round starter sheet will be 50-year-old Fred Couples who shot 72 today to complete 36 holes on 141, -1. Couples began his round with two straight birdies but hit a rocky patch around the turn where he bogeyed the 9th, then double-bogeyed the short Par 4 10th after hitting his sand wedge approach short into a bunker then flying the green with his third and landing in another. After taking three more to get down, Couples went to one-over for the round and one-under for the tournament. He did birdie the Par 5 11th, but another bogey followed at the 12th where he three-putted from 60ft. He finished with six straight pars, the last after pitching to 11ft from 40 yards short of the green and holing the putt.
For the second straight week, Ryan Moore shot 70, 74 and is in danger of missing the cut. Currently one over the cut line, he will need a few players to finish poorly tomorrow morning in order to creep into the top 70 and ties.

On the Nationwide Tour, Kyle Stanley missed the cut at the Moonah Classic at Moonah Links GC in Victoria. The 22-year-old from Gig Harbor shot 73-73 to miss out by a shot.