Furyk ‘is the one to beat’

THIRTY-three-year-old Jim Furyk took another big step towards an almost inevitable first major at Olympia Fields yesterday by setting a 36 hole scoring record for the US Open.

He added a 66 to Thursday’s 67 for a seven below par total of 133, one shot better than the previous figure shared by four players.

Furyk’s playing partner Darren Clarke (who himself shot 69 for one under) was so impressed both by Furyk’s ball striking and scoring that he insisted “Jim is the one we all have to beat”. However, he wasn’t to know that Tiger Woods was emerging from the long grass and moving to two under thanks to a phenomenal three wood of 247 yards that he cut around the trees at the long 6th to within fifteen feet of the hole.