Sony Open round two: Choi has the numbers on his side

Steve Marino and Fred Funk are looking like the exceptions that disprove the rule. We all know what a stickler Funk is for accurate tee shots and he is again the most precise player after round two to edge himself up into 4th place. Marino might not have much of a reputation for finding fairways but he only missed four of them Friday. Yet around them are a host of players for whom the fairways often might as well have been on the moon. K J Choi barely managed to find half of them and Kevin Na and Jimmy Walker couldn’t even do that. So how come everyone was talking about the rough being such a horror this year? Curiouser and curiouser.

What will puzzle Alice and me even more is if Choi doesn’t bag a major in the not too distant future. When he gets in the groove he’s a hard man to shift and he is increasingly solidifying his place among the golfing elite. That’s not to say he hasn’t still got work to do this weekend, but the omens are in his favour - he’s four from four for winning from a half-way lead and his closest rival is a youngster who is undoubtedly good but a bit flaky. It’s early days to say if Na is finally beginning to live up to the potential people saw in the young rookie at the start of last season. He ended up a bit of a disappointment with just a couple of top tens. Playing in the final grouping will be an interesting test.

Marino also notched a couple of top tens last year and looks on course for another. He is still posting the best all-round figures, excluding distance off the tee, and leads the field for finding greens. I’m not sure he has enough line to reel in Choi, but on moving day someone in the chasing pack needs to get a move on.

PS: Not sure about this new system of having a cut, then telling some of those that make it they can’t play any more. John Daly for one was distinctly unamused. Seems to add another layer of confusion to the end of second round.

PPS: Congratulations to Frank Lickliter on becoming the father of twins. But why quit the competition? Where are your priorities man? Actually, maybe they’re really too much with golf. How come he was playing at all if the birth was imminent?