1993 Open Championship: Second-Round Summary - Sharkive - Sharkwatch

Even though he stood three strokes behind the co-leaders after the first 18 holes, Nick Faldo's presence caused everyone else to feel apprehensive. Going into the Open Championship it was generally agreed the final result depended on how well he played. The most dangerous player in the game, he had accumulated an astonishing record in the competitions that matter most, a record that rivaled those of the great players of the past.

Since he broke through at Muirfield six years earlier, Nick not only had won the Open twice more -- at St. Andrews in 1990 and at Muirfield again in 1992 -- he had won the US Masters twice, lost a playoff for the 1988 US Open, placed third in the 1990 US Open, missing a place in the play-off with Hale Irwin and Mike Donald by one stroke, and tied for second in the 1992 USPGA Championship.

His record in the Open stands out above his performance in every other important competition. Through 1992 he had played in 17, dating back to 1976, when he was still in his teens, and he had never missed the cut, remarkable of itself. Even with his old loose, floppy swing, he had placed as high as seventh back in 1978, and during one exceptional period, from 1982 through 1984, he placed fourth, eighth, and sixth, and fifth in 1986, the year Greg Norman won at Turnberry.

Since revitalizing his swing, Faldo had won three Opens, and placed third in 1988 while Seve Ballesteros and Nick Price waged their inspiring battle at Royal Lytham and St. Annes, which Ballesteros finally won on the 72 green. Over Nick's entire Open career, which comprised 68 rounds of golf, he had played 24 rounds in the 60s, fully 35 percent, and shot his lowest round in 1992, 64 in the second round, which trust him to the front, a position he never gave up until he played some loose golf early in the second nine of the last round. Still, he had won out in the end.

This perseverance, this determination, this refusal to be beaten elevated Faldo to a higher lever. He intimidated his rivals, and when once again he played a sensational second round at Royal St. George's, a nearly flawless 63 that matched the Open record and shot him into the lead, it was clear the championship was his to either win or lose.

Heavy rain had struck the channel coast Thursday night, further weakening Royal St. George's defenses. The wind rose stronger for the late starters, blustering across some fairways, down others, and into the shot on still more, giving the field a better taste of what golf along the English Channel can be like. Although scoring did not reach the levels of the first round, 26 men shot rounds in the 60s, not as many as the 47 who had broken par a day earlier, but when the day ended the best players in the game stood at the top of the standings. In the lead position, Faldo was being challenged by Bernhard Langer, Fred Couples, Greg Norman, Corey Pavin, Peter Senior, Fuzzy Zoeller and Larry Mize.

An early starter on Thursday, Faldo was to play in the afternoon on Friday. By the time he arrived, low scores had already been turned in. The day had hardly begun when Couples, who had opened with 68 on Thursday, birdied the second and third and dropped to 4-under-par for the 21 holes. By the time he had played the fifth, Langer had birdied the first. The field was off to another day of great scoring.

Couples remains an enigma, an outstanding golfer who shows very little drive. Fred projects the impression he is essentially lazy and indifferent to practice, and has a low confidence level. He said he had come into the championship without much faith in his ability to win, and admitted he had actually given himself very little chance against Faldo, Norman and Price.

Nevertheless, Couples suddenly threatened to claim the lead. After routine pars on the fourth to the sixth, where he missed a birdie opportunity from six feet, Couples rifled two big shots to the edge of the seventh green, chipped to two feet, and holed the putt for another birdie.

Three under par for the day now, and five under for 25 holes, Couples bogeyed the eighth, but quickly floated a nine iron three feet from the cup on the ninth. Out in 32, 4-under-par, Couples had dipped six under par for 27 holes and had taken over first place. Better things lay ahead.

Two missed greens but superb recoveries saved pars on the 10th and 11th, and then Couples reeled off three consecutive birdies, one of the miracle type. A long and pure drive left him in prime position for his approach to the 12th, but he made a tentative, cautious pass at his pitch and left it at least 40 feet short of the cup. No matter, Fred drew back his putter and gave the ball a good rap. It ran true to the hole and dived in for a 3.

When the putt fell, Couples rolled his eyes heavenward, turned toward the applauding gallery, and while his jaw dropped, he held out his hands, palms up- ward, as if to say he was more amazed than anyone.

He followed with a terrific pitch inside 10 feet on the 13th, reached the green of the 14th with a drive and a 225-yard three wood into the wind and birdied once again.

Now he stood 6-under-par for the round, eight under for 32 holes. Safely past the dangerous 15th, Fred played a superb eight iron that pulled up eight feet from the cup, offering the opening to drop to nine under. The putt slipped past the cup, a lost opportunity.

Now Couples had reached that demanding finish, two tough par 4s, perhaps the most severe finish in the game. They ruined Fred's day. He missed the 17th green when his two iron pulled up 20 feet short and right, then pulled another two iron left of the home green, leaving it in the depression where Sandy Lyle had found himself at the finish of the 1985 Open. Here Couples chipped his ball across the green and bogeyed. With a round of 64 in reach, he had finished in 66 instead, and posted 134 for 36 holes, 6-under-par, solidly among the leaders.

Meantime, Langer continued to play sound, error- free golf, reeling off three birdies on the first nine and making the turn in 32. When he began the second nine with a par 4 he had played 28 holes with nothing but 3s and 4s. He broke the string at the 11th, drilling a four iron to just over 15 feet and with his weird putting grip, ran the ball home for a birdie 2.

Another birdie at the 14th, where, realizing he couldn't reach the green with his second, he drove with a one iron, played another one iron short, then pitched within eight feet and holed the putt for his final birdie of the day.

Now he stood 5-under-par, on his way to a round of 65 and a 36-hole score of 132, 8-under-par, but he still had to face that dangerous finish. A drive and seven iron put him safely on the 15th for a routine par, and then another routine par on the 16th. Now for the 17th, 425 yards but playing much longer than it measured. A drive, then another one iron, hit as well as he had ever hit one, reached the green, and he two-putted from 60 feet.

One hole to go, the long and forbidding 18th, 468 yards into the wind. Reaching for all the distance he could muster, Langer hit his drive among the gallery and struck a woman. She wasn't hurt badly, but now Bernhard couldn't reach the green with his second. He bogeyed, his first 5 and only his second bogey. (He had made 4 on the 16th on Thursday.)

Langer finished with 66, which matched Couples' round, but with 133, he stood one stroke ahead of Fred over the distance.

None of that mattered very much, for Faldo was about to redefine the championship with one of the Open's greatest rounds, 63, that carried him to the top of the standings and created a new atmosphere.

Nick had been accused of playing too conservatively in the past, playing for the certain par rather than risking a stroke with a daring shot. Perhaps, but there was nothing tentative or cautious about this round.

Six strokes behind Langer when he stepped on to the first tee, Faldo played daring, attacking golf from the first blow. Driving the fairway, Nick ripped a perfectly played five iron to four feet and holed the putt for the first of his seven birdies. One stroke closer.

He followed with two routine pars, then played a two-iron approach that missed the fourth green. After a six-iron chip, he saved himself by holing a nerve-testing four-footer.

Now Faldo reeled off three consecutive birdies. A safe three-iron tee shot on the fifth, and a perfectly stroked seven iron to 10 feet earned the first birdie. A six iron to 20 feet on the sixth and a curling putt that fell earned the second; and then Nick reached the green of the seventh with two big downwind shots, a drive and a three iron to 40 feet. He took two putts and had his third.

Four under par now and closing in. A drive and three iron to 25 feet on the eighth followed by a two iron and nine iron set up two pars. Faldo had played the first nine in 31, equalling Henry Cotton's record set in 1934 and matched by Senior in the first round. Faldo wasn't through yet.

Hitting one precise shot after another, Nick set up another birdie opportunity by laying a nine iron 12 feet from the hole on the 10th green, but he missed the putt. A chance gone. A five iron to 20 feet and two putts earned his par on the 11th; a wedge to six feet on the 12th and Faldo was looking at another birdie. Once again, though, his putter failed him and he settled for still another par.

Still four under par for the round, he stood one stroke behind Couples, two behind Langer. He was on his way to 66 if he could hold his game together as the wind crisscrossed the fairways, forcing him to work the ball back and forth according to the wind's direction.

Now, though, Faldo made another move. A three wood from the tee followed by another great iron, a nine iron to four feet, and another holed putt. Five under par for the round. Now he had caught Couples with the 14th, the Suez Canal, a definite birdie hole, coming up. One more birdie and he would climb level with Langer and share the 36-hole lead.

A loose drive here almost cost him a stroke. His ball veered left and dived into the knee-high rough, safe from the out of bounds flanking the right side, but still in trouble. From there Nick tried to slash it out with a five iron, but the club turned in his hand. He cleared the Suez, but his ball settled back in the rough. From there he dug it out with a seven iron that squirted across the fairway into the light rough on the opposite side, still about 50 yards short of the green. Three shots played and still not on.

Now Faldo played one of those shots that win championships. He hit a nice pitch that braked, trick- led slowly toward the hole, hit the flagstick gently, and tumbled into the cup. A birdie 4 where a par looked the best he could do. Now he stood 6-under-par for the round, 7 under for the 32 holes, and he had caught Langer. He wasn't through yet; he still had four hard holes to play.

Safely past the 15th with a drive and another precise five iron inside 20 feet, another five iron to 15 feet on the 16th, and a drive and four iron to 25 feet on the difficult 17th. Three pars, but not out of danger yet.

As Faldo strode on to the tee of the 18th he felt the fresh wind blowing directly into his face, turning the home hole into a severe test. Nick nailed as good a drive as he had hit throughout the afternoon and followed with another perfectly struck shot, a terrific two iron that bored through the wind, skipped on to the green, and pulled up just 12 feet from the cup. The putt fell, Faldo had come home in 32, shot 63 for the round, and passed Langer. He had taken command of the Open.

This was as good a round as anyone had ever played in an Open, filled with stirring shots that split the fairways and covered the flagsticks. It followed the pattern he had set a year earlier at Muirfield, where he shot 64 in the second round and took command of the championship.

Whether it would work the same effect here wouldn't be determined for two more days, but it indeed vaulted Faldo to the front and put him into the record book, for he had broken the course record set by Christy O'Connor, Jr, in the 1985 Open, and become one of six men who had shot 63 in an Open-Mark Hayes at Turnberry in 1977, Isao Aoki at Muirfield in 1980, Greg Norman at Turnberry in 1986, Paul Broadhurst at St Andrews in 1990 and Jodie Mudd at Royal Birkdale in 1991.

In with 132 for 36 holes, Faldo still couldn't feel too comfortable, for aside from Langer and Couples, Norman had suddenly sprung to life. Playing immediately behind Faldo, Norman, who had opened with 66, had gone out in 34 with two birdies and a bogey on the tough fifth, but he picked up birdies on both the 12th and 13th and missed a chance for a third at the 14th. Two crisp shots left him just short of the green, but his chip ran well past the hole. He settled for a par on a hole where he should have counted on a birdie.

Greg saved par on the 15th after overshooting the green with a five-iron second, then dropped another stroke at the hard 17th, where he drove into the rough. Back in 34, he shot 68 and fell from a tie for first into a tie for third, at 134, with Couples and Pavin, who shot 66 with six birdies and two bogeys, one on that demanding 11th.

Meantime, Senior, one of the four co-leaders, dropped to sixth place, at 135, and Zoeller fell into a tie for seventh with Mize, at 136. This was a magnificent leaderboard; six of those first eight players had won one or more of the four most important tournaments in the game. Only Senior and Pavin hadn't. Four were among the Sony Ranking's top-five golfers in the world. It all confirmed that Royal St George's ranks among the world's great examinations in the game.

Full of wonderful golf, the day, at the same time, had been cruel, for so many of the game's great figures had been eliminated. The 36-hole cut fell at 143, just three strokes over par.

Among those who would play no further, the crowds mourned the loss of Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tony Jacklin and Tom Watson, who had given the galleries so many exciting moments in the past; Ben Crenshaw, everybody's favourite; Sandy Lyle, who had won at this same place in 1985; Davis Love III, who had never done well in the most important competitions; Jose Maria Olazabal; and two men who had figured so prominently in the 1992 championship-John Cook, whose missed two-foot birdie putt on the 17th at Muirfield and his bogey on the 18th opened the way for Faldo to win, and Steve Pate, who had put early pressure on Nick in the last round.

Some of them had been close to qualifying. Nicklaus slipped 5-over- par on the last seven holes and missed by one stroke. Watson worked his way back to three over with a birdie on the 16th, but then bogeyed the 17th and missed by one stroke as well.

Writers Robert Sommers Raymond Jacobs Michael Mcdonnell Michael Williams Marino Parascenzo Alistar Nicol John Hopkins	Photographers Lawrence Levy Michael Cohen
	Editor Bev Norwood