US Open Leaderboard 2012: 5 Golfers Who Will Challenge Tiger Woods This Weekend
It's Saturday at the 2012 U.S. Open, and just like old times, Tiger Woods is leading the field into the weekend at one-under par.
Woods, who owns 14 major championship wins, is joined by David Toms and Jim Furyk atop the Open leaderboard at The Olympic Club, a course that has proved to be plenty worthy of hosting the nation's championship.
The last time Woods was in this spot—leading a major championship after 36 holes—he blew that advantage, succumbing to Y.E. Yang at the 2009 PGA Championship at Hazeltine in Minnesota. Woods was without a loss (8-0) in eight such scenarios prior to that loss.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
What was once a foregone conclusion when Woods went into a major weekend with the lead is now a more daunting task for golf's biggest star, and surely the four-year gap between major titles will weigh heavily on Woods as he attempts to pick up his first win in a grand slam event since 2008 at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
If Woods is to win his 15th major over the next 36 holes, these are the five golfers he'll most likely need to hold off:
David Toms
Toms has such a smooth overall game, from his consistent driving to the iron work to a sure stroke on the greens. The 45-year-old has put it all together through two days, with scores of 69 of Thursday and a respectable 70 on Friday.
Toms was especially impressive in recovering on Day 2, as two bogeys through six holes could have sent him straight into the mid-70s. But Toms quietly sank birdies on 11 and 13 to get back to even par on the round, which sets him up to be a major player over the weekend.
Jim Furyk
Furyk has found the greens in regulation better than any player through two rounds, and that's a major reason why he finds himself tied with Woods atop the leaderboard to start Saturday.
After hitting 14/18 (77.78 percent) greens in regulation in Round 1, Furyk connected on 13/18 (72.22 percent) Friday. He's the only player who has been above 70 percent in both rounds, and his 75 percent overall mark leads the field.
If he continues to have success finding the greens and giving himself birdie putts, Furyk will every opportunity to steal the major from Tiger.
Matt Kuchar
Many considered Kuchar one of the pre-tournament favorites along with Woods, and he's only four shots back of the leaders at +3 after 36 holes.
The start of Round 2 was a struggle for Kuchar, as he hit a six on the par-four first and then bogeyed the third. He kept the score to just 73—a win in Kuchar's book after the first three holes—while keeping his name in contention for the weekend.
Kuchar needs to keep hitting the greens—he's second behind Furyk at 72.22 percent through 36 holes—to put the pressure on Woods and company.
Steve Stricker
A 76 in Round 1 looked to put Stricker in a battle just to make the cut, but he responded with one of the tournament's best rounds Friday. Stricker shot a 68—just one of 13 rounds in the 60s through 36 holes—to pull within five strokes back at +4.
Anybody who shoots that well on a given day has a chance to sneak up on the leaders, especially if Stricker can shoot another 68, or even a 69, on Saturday. Getting to +2 or +3 for Sunday would put Stricker in position to compete for the tournament.
Graeme McDowell
The former U.S. Open champion followed up his solid 69 on Thursday with an up-and-down performance Friday. While McDowell made four birdies, there were also six bogeys, which resulted in a 72 on the scorecard.
At +1, however, McDowell sits just two shots back in fourth place. Considering he's already shot a round under par at the Olympic Club this week—and we know how rare that's been—McDowell has as good a shot as any to pressure Woods this weekend.
And Don't Forget....Michael Thompson
I'm not convinced Thompson is going to be a big factor down the stretch, but his 66 on Thursday is still hard to forget. The 75 Friday was probably closer to what we'll see from him during the weekend, but the seven birdies he sank in Round 1 are enough for me to at least include him in this list.
2012 US Open Leaderboard (Full leaderboard can be found at ESPN)
| Player | Score | Thru |
| T1. David Toms | -1 | F |
| T1. Tiger Woods | -1 | F |
| T1. Jim Furyk | -1 | F |
| T4. Michael Thompson | +1 | F |
| T4. Graeme McDowell | +1 | F |
| T4. Nicolas Colsaerts | +1 | F |
| T4. John Peterson | +1 | F |
| 8. Blake Adams | +2 | F |
| T9. Matt Kuchar | +3 | F |
| T9. Jason Dufner | +3 | F |
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
