Percy in tie for Senior PGA lead, but a big name lurks

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Percy in tie for Senior PGA lead, but a big name lurks

*********** Cameron Percy is part of a three-way tie atop the leaderboard midway through the Senior PGA Championship at Congressional.

The Victorian, who held a one-shot lead overnight, shot a one-under 71 on Friday and was joined by the high-profile Vijay Singh (68) and YE Yang (68) at six under in the PGA Tour Champions second major.

With conditions changing throughout his round, Percy kept looking for the big American flag to see how windy it was at any given moment and credited growing up in Melbourne for knowing how to handle it.

“I think the wind definitely helps me,” Percy said. “You get down in the tree lines and you can’t feel the wind, and then you walk 200 yards and it’s blowing like crazy.”

Singh, who was world No.1 for 32 weeks between 2004 and 2005, started thinking about what he might do with his weekend after bogeying the first three holes on Friday.

“Your mind just goes haywire,” he said. “But I’ve played long enough to know that there’s a lot of golf out there.”

Then, he showed it.

After missing the Masters and PGA Championship this spring because of an undisclosed injury, Singh looked perfectly healthy the rest of the second round with seven birdies to surge to the top.

“I’ve been driving the ball good,” Singh said. “Just hung in there and started making a couple of birdies here and there, picked up the shots, and the back nine I played solid golf.”

The 62-year-old from Fiji is aiming for his first career victory at the course in the Maryland suburbs just outside of Washington, which he has played a handful of times, including the 1997 US Open. He tied for 77th then and missed the cut in his last event at Congressional, Tiger Woods’ tournament in 2014.

“I’ve always loved playing here,” Singh said, noting that much has changed from his previous tries. “It’s totally a different golf course, totally new golf course. The greens are very challenging, to say the least.”

Singh, who was known for his rigorous practice habits, has cut that part of his routine in half.

“Once I get on the range and hit, it used to be I’d go out there and hit five, six good shots and I’d say, ‘OK, let’s see if I can do 20 of these ones,'” Singh said. “But now if I hit two or three good shots, I say, ‘I’ve had enough, that’s it.'”

Yang birdied four of his last five holes.

Padraig Harrington headlined a crowded group two strokes back at four under. Stuart Cink, Justin Leonard, defending champion Richard Bland and others were at three under.

Ernie Els followed an opening 69 with a 75 to drop to even par. He won the 1997 US Open at Congressional.

Scott Hend (74) is the next best *********** at even par, while Mark Hensby (74) and Mick Smith (73) are a short further behind.

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