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Ishikawa Makes Most Of Fast Starts Ponch Returns

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 21, 2009

PALM HARBOR - The slew of Japanese media that made the trek to see Ryo Ishikawa at the Transitions Championship will stick around for a few extra days.

Ishikawa, the 17-year-old sensation from the Far East, made the 36-hole cut after a 2-over 73 on Friday left him at even-par 142 through the first two rounds, two strokes above the 144 cut line.

According to tour officials, Ishikawa is the fifth-youngest player in PGA Tour history to make a cut. He is also the second-youngest foreign player to do so, behind only Canadian Bob Panasik, who was 15 when he made the cut at the 1957 Canadian Open.

One thing that helped Ishikawa through the first two days was a quick start. After opening his first round Thursday with consecutive birdies at Nos. 1 and 2, Ishikawa made birdie on his first hole Friday as well, sinking a 6-foot putt at the par-4 10th.

LOST THE BET, WON BATTLE

Steve Stricker, who played collegiately at Illinois, made a friendly bet on the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament with Kenny Perry, a former Western Kentucky standout. And, well ...

"Didn't go my way," Stricker said with a smile. The Illini were eliminated with a first-round loss Thursday to the Hilltoppers.

Things did go Stricker's way Friday on the Copperhead Course, however. He turned in one of day's best rounds with a 4-under 67 to move to 6 under for the tournament, which put him in a tie for the 36-hole lead with Nick Watney.

Meanwhile, Perry, who was tied for third entering the second round after a 4 under Thursday, shot 3 over Friday to fall into a group tied for 26th.

MAKE, MISS THE CUT

Three golfers with local ties managed to play well enough to stick around for the weekend.

Clearwater's John Huston and Chamberlain High grads Woody Austin and Ryuji Imada each made the 36-hole cut.

One of Imada's playing partners in the first two rounds, defending champion Sean O'Hair, wasn't as fortunate.

O'Hair shot a 2-over 73 on Friday and missed the cut with a two-day total 145. O'Hair is the first defending champion at the event to miss the cut the following year since 2005 champ Carl Pettersson in 2006.

Past tournament champions Mark Calcavecchia (2007) and K.J. Choi (2002, 2006) also missed the cut.

FIGURING IT OUT

Making his fourth career trip to Innisbrook this year, the familiarity with the Copperhead Course finally paid off for Joe Ogilvie.

Ogilvie tied Charles Howell III for Friday's best round, using six birdies with a bogey to post a 5-under 66. It was Ogilvie's first career round in the 60s at Innisbrook, and the fact that it put him in a cluster near the top of the leaderboard - he's in an eight-man group tied for third - has him feeling pretty good heading into the weekend.

"I feel like I've got some momentum for the first time this year, and I feel like my head is in the proper space," Ogilvie said. "You know, I tend to like golf courses where you don't have to shoot 25 under par, and this is certainly one of them."

Adam Adkins

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