BETHESDA, United States: Oliver Goss, a 20-year-old Australian golfer who only turned professional last week, fired a five-under par 66 yesterday to share the 36-hole lead at the US PGA National.
Goss, last year’s US Amateur runner-up, stood on six-under 136 after two rounds at Congressional Country Club, level atop the leaderboard with countryman Marc Leishman and Americans Patrick Reed and Ricky Barnes.
Goss and Leishman will play in today’s final pairing.
“Second week as a pro, see your name atop the board, gave me some confidence as I finished out the round,” Goss said.
“I feel really great about my game.”
Goss was the low amateur at this year’s Masters, missed the cut two weeks ago at the US Open and made his pro debut last week at the Travelers Championship, also missing the cut.
“I didn’t really have too many expectations,” Goss said of the National.
“Obviously I wanted to make the cut. Missing the cut last week I was a little bit disappointed but coming into this week pretty appreciative and open-minded and just see what happened.
“That I’m atop the leaderboard, I couldn’t be more pleased.”
Goss opened and closed the front nine with birdies, added another at the 11th, sank a 34-foot birdie putt at the 14th and escaped a greenside bunker on the way to making a seven-foot birdie putt at the par-5 16th. He played without a bogey despite hitting only 4-of-14 fairways.
“I hit a lot of greens,” Goss said. “I didn’t hit it too far off the fairway. I got fortunate with some pretty good lies and I hit about four in the first cut, which helped. But I think I scrambled my way pretty good.”
Goss is trying to play his way onto the PGA Tour, but his not being a member led to some issues as he tried to enter the clubhouse and security guards didn’t believe he was truly a player.
“I tried to get in the clubhouse and I don’t have a PGA Tour credential because I’m not a member and they said, ‘No, we can’t let you in,’” Goss said. AFP
