ARDMORE, Pa. — Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters winner who has battled injuries and a loss of confidence in his swing in recent years, flirted with the lead late in his round Thursday before faltering and finishing with a 2-over-par 72.
Weir was in a tie for the lead at 2-under before bogeying his final four holes to shoot 40 on the back nine. But the fact he is in good shape to make the cut is encouraging, considering the abyss his career has been in.
Weir, who got into the field on Monday as an alternate from sectional qualifying, missed 17 consecutive cuts in one stretch, including all 14 in 2012.
“I had a torn extensor tendon in my elbow,” Weir said. “It happened in 2010, and I tried to play through it for a while and finally had surgery in 2011.
“There were times that, yeah, you wonder when you’re injured and you get a little older. But I was very determined to get back.
“I still love the game. I still love to practice and enjoy the competition. I still feel motivated. I feel like I still have quite a bit of good golf left in me.’’
* Jay Don Blake, a former PGA Tour pro now playing on the Champions Tour who made it into the field through sectional qualifying, shot a 4-over 74.
“I’m not just trying to make the cut,’’ he said. “If I go out [today] and shoot a good round, who knows where I’ll be sitting?”
Blake said he was “razzed’’ by his fellow Champions Tour players about playing with the youngsters this week.
“They told me not to embarrass us old guys, that I better go out there and play well,’’ he said. I’ve got a lot of weight on my shoulders in that aspect. I know whatever happens out here they’re not going to hold anything against me.’’
* There was talk, because of the soft conditions, players were going to tear apart Merion — perhaps even breaking the U.S. Open record of 62. That, however, never came to fruition.
“It’s a lot tougher than what they say it is,’’ Charl Schwartzel said.
“I never knew where the guys got those 62 numbers from, because the rough is brutal, the fairways are hard and it actually plays long with how wet it is,’’ George Coetzee said. “It’s kind of what you want in a U.S. Open. It’s tough.’’
Jerry Kelly said it was the media predicting the low scores.
“You guys talk about scores. We don’t worry about scores,” he said. “It is your job to try and find something to write about in picking a score. We don’t pick a score until Sunday.’’
* After the round was called because of darkness, the USGA began receiving calls and emails about Adam Scott possibly grounding his club in a hazard on the fifth hole.
The USGA reviewed, declared Scott had not grounded his club and assessed no penalty.
* After the round was called because of darkness, the USGA began receiving calls and emails about Adam Scott possibly grounding his club in a hazard on the fifth hole.
* The USGA reviewed, declared Scott had not grounded his club and assessed no penalty.
* After the round was called because of darkness, the USGA began receiving calls and emails about Adam Scott possibly grounding his club in a hazard on the fifth hole.
* The USGA reviewed, declared Scott had not grounded his club and assessed no penalty.
* Keegan Bradley, playing with his mentor, Phil Mickelson, struggled to a 7-over-par 77.
“I’ve got to shoot as low as I can [in the second round],” he said. “I’ve got to have one really good round.’’
Bradley, a huge Bruins fan, said he tried to stay up for the entire triple-overtime Stanley Cup final opener against Blackhawks on Wednesday night but he fell asleep before the Bruins lost. That probably was the best thing that happened to him in the previous 24 hours.
* Kelly, who shot 70, asked what he did during the long weather delay in the morning: “Watch Philip Seymour Hoffman in ‘The Master.’ It’s a pretty darn good movie. You should rent it.’’
* After the round was called because of darkness, the USGA began receiving calls and emails about Adam Scott possibly grounding his club in a hazard on the fifth hole.
* The USGA reviewed, declared Scott had not grounded his club and assessed no penalty.