French player Gregory Bourdy gets A+ at U.S. Open
OAKMONT, Pa. — Add Gregory Bourdy to the list of surprising names making noise in the 116th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club.
The Frenchman, who has golf shoes adorned with logos of a glass of wine, stunned the course and onlookers Saturday with a 10-hole stretch in which he made five birdies and a hole-out eagle from the fairway on the 11th.
At one time, he was threatening to add his name to the list of 26 players who have shot 63 in a major. With a fantastic finish he could have been the first to shoot 62. But an unfortunate finish — he bogeyed the 16th from just short of the green, lipped out for birdie on the 17th and made a double-bogey on the 18th after his approach spun back off the green into a divot — led to a 3-under-par 67 through 36 holes.
He’s tied for third, two shots behind pace-setter Dustin Johnson, as the tournament continues moving forward in an effort to get back on schedule after Thursday’s storms. The second round likely will end around 3 p.m. The third round will start about an hour after that and will end on Sunday morning.
Bourdy, ranked No. 126 in the world, was nonetheless beaming after the round despite the last three holes.
“It was a beautiful (round of) golf and I knew at the beginning of this week, I could do something well,” said Bourdy, 34, who was born in Bordeaux and has won four titles on the European Tour. “I feel very good in my game the last few weeks, and I really love the difficulty of this course. I can play some great tee shots, good irons.
“And today, I holed some putts as well, so A+. At the end it was a very good day on a very difficult course like this.”
Bourdy is the third player in three days that ignited Wikipedia searches.
Andrew Landry, the No. 624th-ranked player in the world, took the opening-round lead with a 66, the lowest first-round score in the nine U.S. Opens held at Oakmont that he actually concluded on Friday morning.
Landry kept his surprising run going with a 71 Saturday, bouncing back with three birdies in his last four holes.
Then there was Daniel Summerhays, ranked No. 102, who fired a 65 in his second round Friday evening and is three shots off the lead.
Bourdy, who was quick with fist pumps throughout his round, missed the cut in 2012 in his only other appearance in the U.S. Open. This is his ninth major, with a tie for 39th in the 2008 British Open his best finish. He earned entry into this year’s U.S. Open by shooting 67-68 at Walton Heath in Surrey, England in a qualifier.
“Of course, it's possible. It's possible,” Bourdy said when asked if he can win this week. “I know it's possible so that's the main thing. And then we'll see. I can't say anymore.”
PHOTOS: SATURDAY AT OAKMONT