Date: October 20, 2007
Author:

Hot Hensby hits form in Arizona

Nine birdies in a bogey-free second round have launched Australian Mark Hensby up the leader board at the inaugural Fry&aposs Electronics Open in Arizona. Hensby fired a stunning nine-under par 61 to put his sluggish opening round 71 behind him. The round of the day put Hensby hot on the heels of three-shot frontrunner American Ryan Moore. Moore (63) sits in front of a pack of three that includes fellow American Ben Crane, Japan&aposs Daisuke Maruyama and Hensby. The 36-year-old opened his round with back-to-back birdies and the confidence did not wear off from there. He went out in 31 and stormed home in 30 to post the round everyone was talking about. The news wasn&apost so good for Australians Robert Allenby, Aaron Baddeley, Gavin Coles, Mathew Goggin, Michael Sim, Stephen Leaney and Nick Flanagan who all missed the cut. While in the hunt, Hensby knows he still has a mountain to climb to catch the man who holds the advantage at the midway point. One of the most decorated amateur players in history, Moore won the US Amateur, US Public Links, NCAA Championship, Western Amateur and Sahalee Players Championship in 2004. He was a two-time first team All America at UNLV and the 2005 Collegiate Player of the Year. All of those accomplishments not only showed that Moore was a talent, but they also set the bar pretty high for his career on the PGA Tour. He is now two rounds away from finally clearing it. Moore has three runner-up finishes on tour, including this season at the Memorial Tournament, where he birdied five of his final six holes on Sunday. “It was just really consistent ball-striking. Just continued from yesterday, which really has continued from last Sunday, as well,” Moore said. “So I just felt comfortable out there. I&aposve played well on this golf course before. I actually won a tournament here a few years ago when I was 18.” Phil Mickelson, who was making his return to the PGA Tour following a month-long absence after finishing 20th at the Tour Championship in mid-September, was one-over for the tournament and missed the cut by a shot. “Missing a cut is just missing the cut. It&aposs just frustrating every way you look at it,” Mickelson said. “Whether it&aposs a major, whether it&aposs a tour event or your home course like Grayhawk, it&aposs always frustrating.”