He’s in the record books.  Ricky Barnes, a brash U.S. Amateur winner in 2002, was shocked when he learned that he had set the record for the lowest U.S. Open 36-hole finish.  The six-year record previously held by Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh was taken down one stroke to 132 over 36-holes.  The young 28 year-old Californian was laid back in his assessment of play.  “It’s pretty cool,” Ricky said.  “If you’d have told me I would have been eight under and only a one-shot lead, I would have said, ‘You’re kidding me.’”

With the conditions at New York’s Bethpage Black Course dodgy, Ricky’s play in the rain-soaked match so far has made the record that much sweeter.  The only blemish was a bogey on the 10th hole in round one.  Sitting at the top of the leaderboard, Barnes is in an enviable position.  Even Tiger Woods has got to be surprised at the gap between the two.  Sitting at twelve shots behind Ricky, Tiger will need to take every advantage of his skill to come from behind.  In a tournament like this there is no room for error.

Saturday’s weather conditions are expected to cause continued angst for golfers finishing up their second round.  Third round scores may suffer if the rain falls heavy on the course.  Right now, light rain is falling intermittently; however, the wind is calm making for ideal scoring conditions.  At least, for a little while, the players on the course have the advantage of playing without the rain.

One unexpected, yet welcomed, player atop the leaderboard is David Duval.  Fighting his way back from obscurity (currently ranked 882 in the world), many doubters believed that David would have self-destructed by now.  Tied for fourth at 3-under David was humbled.  “I’m just happy I’ve given them a good show so far,” said Duval.   Barring any collapse, David could capture the hearts of all loyal fans if he can simply play to the level of his #1 ranked days and win his second major.  But, golf psyches are fragile and keeping your head in the game for 72-holes is a discipline all golfers struggle with.

There is lots of golf to be played and a clear leader has yet to pull away from the pack.  One thing to remember, the weather is always an equalizer and there are so many deserving players trying their best to capture the perfect Father’s Day prize.

© 2009 The iQuest Group, LLC

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allan@iquestgolf.com

www.iquestgolf.com