Thomas Bjorn, Darren Clarke close strong, maintain lead at TPC Wisconsin
The team of Thomas Bjorn and Darren Clarke stayed on the attack at TPC Wisconsin on Saturday, reaching 25-under par after two rounds of the American Family Insurance Championship in Madison, Wis.
Playing a scramble format in the second round, where each team chooses the best shot of the two players and each one hits their next shot from there, the Bjorn-Clarke duo delivered five birdies on the front nine before taking charge on the back.
Clarke, of Northern Ireland, and Bjorn, of Denmark, were under par on seven of the final nine holes, including an eagle 3 at the par-5 11th hole. The 13-under 58 came after a 12-under 59 in the first round Friday.
"In the end, it seemed like the hole was the size of a bucket, and you get like that, but you also know that a night's sleep, you can wake up and it can seem like very small tomorrow," Bjorn said. "That's the way golf goes. But today ... we probably felt like we did when we were 28, hitting those kind of golf shots."
Clarke was particularly impressive on the day, delivering three birdies on the front nine and going 7-under by himself on the back. Both players birdied the last four holes.
"It's really exciting to go out there with a chance to win any tournament, and then to go out there and have a chance to win tomorrow playing with Thomas in a team event, it's brilliant," Clarke said. "That's what we practice for, that's what we play for. If it happens, great. If not, then so be it, we've done our best."
Steve Stricker and Mario Tiziani moved into second place at 22 under with the low round of the day at 15-under 56. They combined to shoot a 28 on both sides, with each recording an eagle 3 at the par-5 seventh hole.
Stricker and Tiziani had a birdie or better on 11 of the final 13 holes.
"We were in position every hole to make birdies," Tiziani said. "I can't really think of one we were not. Maybe 17, I guess. But other than that, yeah, we were in position. We just ham-and-egged it, we really did. I guess that's what you have to do."
A tie for third place at 21 under included the teams of Steve Flesch and Paul Goydos, as well as Ernie Els of South Africa and Tim Herron.
Flesch and Goydos climbed into third with a 14-under 57, while Els and Herron combined to shoot 59.
"We just played a lot of good golf today," Flesch said. "Paul hit a lot of good iron shots, I hit a lot of good iron shots. I made a lot of putts today, Paul made a couple great putts that I don't know if we really expected to make."
Two other sub-60 rounds were delivered by Cameron Percy and David Bransdon , both of Australia, and Bernhard Langer of Germany and Steven Alker of New Zealand .
Percy and Bransdon moved into fifth place at 20 under, while Langer and Alker were tied for sixth at 19 under with Richard Green and Mark Hensby of Australia.
The field will return to the best ball format, used in Friday's first round, for Sunday's final round.
Field Level Media
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Watch: Denzel Clarke's incredible wall grab best home run steal ever in MLB history
Watch: Denzel Clarke's incredible wall grab best home run steal ever in MLB history (Image via Getty) Ballpark silence turned to roar on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. Oakland Athletics rookie outfielder Denzel Clarke stunned everyone with a catch that saved an almost certain home run. What happened next left fans and announcers stunned and the replay went viral. Here is how Clarke pulled off one of the most jaw‑dropping defensive plays you'll see all year. Denzel Clarke robs Nolan Schanuel of a long home run In the very first inning of the Athletics vs. Reds game on June 10, 2025, Denzel Clarke tracked a soaring hit from Nolan Schanuel, first baseman for the Los Angeles Angels. Schanuel launched it deep toward center field Statcast showed it was headed 398 feet, clearly over the wall. But Clarke raced back, timed his leap perfectly, scaled the wall, and grabbed the ball mid-flight before crashing back into the field. Home plate umpire and broadcasters were speechless. Clarke then flexed in celebration, fully aware of the play's magnitude . Reds pitcher and teammates looked on in amazement, hands over their heads. This catch added to another spectacular game‑saving play he made just two weeks earlier at Rogers Centre, where he robbed a potential homer from the Blue Jays' Alejandro Kirk . by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Also Read: Why playing away from home is costing the Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays more than wins Denzel Clarke's rookie record continues to shine This home run robbery came during Clarke's 16th MLB game after debuting with the Oakland Athletics on May 23, 2025 . Before this game, he was hitting .216 with one home run and three RBIs, but it's his defense that's grabbing attention. Clarke's early career is showing what scouts once praised: speed, raw power, and outstanding field instincts. Before joining the majors, he dazzled fans in the minors robbing home runs in November 2024 with Mesa and again in spring training against the Blue Jays . Observers have compared his athleticism to that of Bo Jackson and suggest he could become a future Gold Glove candidate . After the game, Clarke said he replayed the catch on the stadium video board to check his route and timing, showing how seriously he takes his game . His signature catch is already trending online, with highlights being shared widely on Reddit and Twitter sports threads. Denzel Clarke's catch not only turned the game around but it also put a serious spotlight on his bright future in baseball. As the A's continue their season, fans are excited to see what more this rookie phenom will do, both with his bat and in center field.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Denzel Clarke robs home run with leaping catch against Angels
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Oakland Athletics outfielder Denzel Clarke made one of the season's most notable defensive plays by robbing Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel of a home run during the first inning of Monday night's, June 9 connected on a pitch from A's starter Grant Holman and sent the ball toward deep center field. The ball was projected by Statcast to travel 398 feet and appeared set to clear the outfield wall for a home run. Clarke, however, tracked the ball, scaled the center field wall, and made the catch at the top of his read: Fantasy Baseball week 11 waiver targets: Jac Caglianone leads top pickups as Bubba Chandler, Eury Perez await MLB impact The play prevented the Angels from scoring early and immediately drew reactions across the field. Athletics broadcasters expressed surprise, while Holman was seen with his hands on his head in disbelief at the catch marks Clarke's second home run robbery in just over two weeks. In late May, Clarke made a similar play at Rogers Centre in Toronto, leaping to snag a 407-foot hit by Blue Jays catcher Alejandro that game, Clarke spoke about watching the replay in real time. 'I was trying to just check it out,' he said. 'I always love seeing if my route was good or if I timed it up well. Everything came together on that catch, so I was super happy about it.'Monday's defensive play came in Denzel Clarke's 16th appearance with the Athletics since being called up from Triple-A earlier this season. The outfielder entered the game with a .244 batting average, one home run, and three was selected by Oakland in the fourth round of the 2021 MLB Draft after playing college baseball at Cal State Northridge. He has shown consistent defensive skill in center field, gaining attention for his range, speed, and field read: Judge orders Trevor Bauer accuser to pay over $300,000 for settlement violation The Athletics, who continue to evaluate talent during a rebuild, may look to Clarke as a key part of their future outfield rotation. With multiple highlight-reel plays in the early part of his major league career, Clarke's defensive contributions have already proven impactful.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Thomas Bjorn, Darren Clarke close strong, maintain lead at TPC Wisconsin
The team of Thomas Bjorn and Darren Clarke stayed on the attack at TPC Wisconsin on Saturday, reaching 25-under par after two rounds of the American Family Insurance Championship in Madison, Wis. Playing a scramble format in the second round, where each team chooses the best shot of the two players and each one hits their next shot from there, the Bjorn-Clarke duo delivered five birdies on the front nine before taking charge on the back. Clarke, of Northern Ireland, and Bjorn, of Denmark, were under par on seven of the final nine holes, including an eagle 3 at the par-5 11th hole. The 13-under 58 came after a 12-under 59 in the first round Friday. "In the end, it seemed like the hole was the size of a bucket, and you get like that, but you also know that a night's sleep, you can wake up and it can seem like very small tomorrow," Bjorn said. "That's the way golf goes. But today ... we probably felt like we did when we were 28, hitting those kind of golf shots." Clarke was particularly impressive on the day, delivering three birdies on the front nine and going 7-under by himself on the back. Both players birdied the last four holes. "It's really exciting to go out there with a chance to win any tournament, and then to go out there and have a chance to win tomorrow playing with Thomas in a team event, it's brilliant," Clarke said. "That's what we practice for, that's what we play for. If it happens, great. If not, then so be it, we've done our best." Steve Stricker and Mario Tiziani moved into second place at 22 under with the low round of the day at 15-under 56. They combined to shoot a 28 on both sides, with each recording an eagle 3 at the par-5 seventh hole. Stricker and Tiziani had a birdie or better on 11 of the final 13 holes. "We were in position every hole to make birdies," Tiziani said. "I can't really think of one we were not. Maybe 17, I guess. But other than that, yeah, we were in position. We just ham-and-egged it, we really did. I guess that's what you have to do." A tie for third place at 21 under included the teams of Steve Flesch and Paul Goydos, as well as Ernie Els of South Africa and Tim Herron. Flesch and Goydos climbed into third with a 14-under 57, while Els and Herron combined to shoot 59. "We just played a lot of good golf today," Flesch said. "Paul hit a lot of good iron shots, I hit a lot of good iron shots. I made a lot of putts today, Paul made a couple great putts that I don't know if we really expected to make." Two other sub-60 rounds were delivered by Cameron Percy and David Bransdon , both of Australia, and Bernhard Langer of Germany and Steven Alker of New Zealand . Percy and Bransdon moved into fifth place at 20 under, while Langer and Alker were tied for sixth at 19 under with Richard Green and Mark Hensby of Australia. The field will return to the best ball format, used in Friday's first round, for Sunday's final round. Field Level Media
