Thomas Bjorn-Darren Clarke duo lead at TPC Wisconsin
Thomas Bjorn and Darren Clarke combined to shoot a 12-under-par 59 Friday to grab the early advantage at the American Family Insurance Championship in Madison, Wis.
Friday's four ball format, which takes the lower score of a pairing of two golfers on each hole, is predisposed to the proliferation of lower scores, and indeed, every coupling of golfers competing was under par on the day.
Clarke, of Northern Ireland, and Bjorn, of Denmark, were a dynamic duo on the first day of the tournament's debut at TPC Wisconsin, with each accounting for seven birdies across 12 different holes.
"Certainly for me knowing Thomas' game so well made it so much easier for me to go out there and free it up today," Clarke said. "I really enjoy playing with him because I know he's there if I mess up, and likewise I try to be there for him. We have, it's like a 'no sorry' policy. We're both trying as hard as we can and we both hit a lot of really good shots today and made the most of our opportunities."
Each got on individual hot streaks, nabbing birdies on four straight holes. Overall, Clarke pocketed birdies on Nos. 2, 4-7, 9 and 14. Bjorn had birdies at Nos. 4-5, 11 and 15-18.
"I think we were tactically very, very sound today and did the right things when we had to," Bjorn said. "When we had two balls in the fairway or two balls on the green, we could be aggressive and that's why we holed more putts than we probably normally would, and we could take on a little bit more flags."
Seven duos are within four strokes of the leaders.
The Australian twosome of Richard Green and Mark Hensby are two behind at 10-under 61, good for second place. Hensby had the rougher day of the two with a pair of bogeys, but six birdies by Green kept them in contention.
"I think we just both really enjoy the golf course, and the conditions are beautiful," Green said. "It's a lot of fun to play and hit the right shots required on this golf course. I felt comfortable out there."
Defending champion Ernie Els of South Africa and his partner Tim Herron are tied for third at 9 under alongside Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee and Australia's Brendan Jones.
Tied for fifth at 8 under are Australians Cameron Percy and David Bransdon, fellow Australians Stuart Appleby and Michael Wright, South Korea's K.J. Choi and Japan's Hiroyuki Fujita and Americans Gene Sauers and Glen Day.
Saturday will switch things up with a scramble format golfers choose the best lie of the two shoots they take from each location along the hole until the hole is completed before reverting to best ball format on championship Sunday.
Field Level Media
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
37 minutes ago
- India.com
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma's absence instantly felt as Team India arrives in England
Shubman Gill-led Indian Test team arrived in London on Saturday New Delhi: India's upcoming Test tour of England will be the first since 2011 without Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who recently retired from the format. The team, now captained by Shubman Gill, arrived in London to a low-key reception, highlighting the absence of the two veteran batsmen. Kohli's arrival in Adelaide last November for India's Australian tour generated significant media and fan excitement. The anticipation surrounding what was potentially his last Test series in Australia was immense, leading to a closed-door practice session that didn't deter enthusiastic fans from seeking a view of the renowned cricketer. Following the arrival of the Indian cricket team in London for a five-match Test series beginning June 20, no public appearances were made by the team on Saturday. A social media video from Indian journalist Vimal Kumar drew attention to this. 'I did not get to see that hype. Not a single fan or media personnel was seen,' said Vimal in the video. No kohli no hype , I am here for long time to witness the downfall of indian Test cricket. Empty airports , stadiums …get used to it . — Raj 🐺 (@the__choosenone) June 7, 2025 When BCCI announced Captain is Gill the Test Aura gone there itself — Srikar Rebel (@SrikarRebel8) June 7, 2025 No King Kohli, no hype. — Sports syncs (@moiz_sports) June 7, 2025 Some cricket fans believed the retirement of Kohli and Rohit Sharma signaled the end of an era for Indian Test cricket, even predicting its decline. Others, however, expressed confidence that Shubman Gill's future performances would restore the team's prestige. At a Mumbai press conference, Gill was questioned about the absence of Kohli and Rohit and the resulting pressure on the younger team members. He confidently responded that this challenge was comparable to others the team had previously overcome. 'Pressure is always there in every tour. Definitely, two very experienced players who played for such a long time and won so many times, very difficult to fill their space. But it is not a different kind of pressure, all of us players are used to it,' he said in the pre-tour presser on Wednesday.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
India can 'easily replace' Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma's skills: Ponting cuts through emotions with no-nonsense take
As India begin a new era in Test cricket without two of its biggest icons, Ricky Ponting has weighed in on the transition, offering both reassurance and perspective. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli now retired from the longest format, all eyes turn to a younger leadership core led by Shubman Gill, as India prepares to take on England in a five-match series starting June 20 at Headingley. Ponting, who has watched Indian cricket evolve closely through the IPL, believes India are better equipped than most nations to absorb the loss of such monumental players. 'It's always very difficult to replace players like that who have been around for so long and have played so much Test cricket. But if any country can do it quickly, it's India because of the young talent they have," Ponting said on The ICC Review. The former Australian captain pointed to the Indian talent pipeline that has delivered consistently in recent years. 'I've seen it firsthand over the last 10 years in the IPL, and we've witnessed the emergence of players like (Yashasvi) Jaiswal who have transitioned to international cricket with India and performed well almost immediately,' he added. Ponting acknowledged that while talent may not be lacking, the loss of experience will be the true test for the side. 'While replacing the skill is one aspect, which I believe India can do relatively easily, the experience is the key element that will be missing. Even with a young captain like Shubman Gill, they will still have some experienced players like KL Rahul and Bumrah around,' he said. 'In a rebuilding phase, I think India can handle it better than most other teams,' Ponting concluded. Shubman Gill, who takes over the captaincy in what is one of the toughest assignments in world cricket, remained composed when asked about the absence of Kohli and Rohit. 'Both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are seasoned players who have secured many victories for us. It is always challenging to replace such talent, but our team has a good blend of youth and experience,' Gill said during the pre-departure press conference. 'This situation does not add extra pressure because our team is always ready to handle stress and knows how to win in such circumstances," he added.
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Brumbies Super Rugby playoff journey continues: Can they break the New Zealand hoodoo?
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The ACT Brumbies will become the latest Australian team to take on the New Zealand playoff hoodoo in Super Rugby after beating the Wellington-based Hurricanes in Canberra. The record for Australian teams in playoff matches in New Zealand now stands at 0-20 after the Queensland Reds were beaten 32-12 by the Crusaders in Christchurch. The Brumbies will face the Chiefs in Hamilton in next weekend's semifinals after the Chiefs were beaten 20-19 by the Auckland-based Blues who scored and converted a try after the fulltime siren. The Chiefs still progressed to the next playoff round as the highest-ranked loser but have lost top seeding to the Crusaders. The match between the Brumbies and Hurricanes might have been a dead rubber if the Crusaders and Chiefs, the top-two seeds, both had won their playoff matches. Then, both teams in Canberra would have progressed to the semifinals either as the winner or highest-ranked loser. The Hurricanes title hopes have now foundered in Canberra in three of the last four years after they lost to the Brumbies in quarterfinals in 2022 and 2023. 'We didn't get the job done tonight. That Brumbies team really took it up a notch and showed why they've been so successful here,' Hurricanes captain DuPlessis Kirifi said. The Brumbies again are the last Australian team standing in the playoffs after reaching the semifinals for the third straight time. 'We're just looking at the Chiefs in Hamilton next week,' coach Stephen Larkham said. 'But we're hoping that the Blues can knock off the Crusaders and we come back here in two weeks for a grand final.' Brute force and home advantage were key factors in the Crusaders' win over the Reds. The Reds had to come from 23 degrees and fine weather in Brisbane to 4 degrees and a rain-soaked pitch in Christchurch. While they anticipated the conditions and tried to replicate them in training, they couldn't fully prepare for a match played in conditions in which the Crusaders excel. 'Typical Christchurch weather: cold, wet and dark and we love it,' said Crusaders scrumhalf Noah Hotham whose brilliant second half try spelled the end of the Reds' hopes and improved the Crusaders winning record in home playoffs to 30-0. The Reds couldn't match the power of the Crusaders' scrum and conceded penalties which gave the Crusaders a footing in Reds territory. At the same time, the Reds took too long to match the Crusaders' numbers at breakdowns. Captain David Havili was a force in the collision area which the Crusaders also dominated. 'They were all over us at the breakdown and collision area and we just couldn't get into our cycle,' Reds captain Tate McDermott said. 'They're really good at disrupting your ball and slowing it down and they did a good job of that.' Hotham may have helped his All Blacks chances with a strong individual performance behind a dominant pack. As Rieko Ioane faced the television cameras after the Blues beat the New South Wales Waratahs to qualify for the Super Rugby playoffs, the Blues and All Blacks center said 'as the saying goes, shouldn't have let us get one.' In 2004 the Boston Red Sox came from 3-0 down to beat the New York Yankees and win their first World Series in 86 years. At 3-0 down Sox outfielder Kevin Millar said 'don't let us get one.' And in the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference finals, the Boston Celtics were 3-0 down against the Miami Heat. 'Don't let us get one,' Celtics player Jaylen Brown said before his team rallied to force game seven. From Ioane, it was prophetic. After 'getting one' by making the playoffs in sixth place, the Blues have now stretched their defense of the Super Rugby title into the semifinals. The Chiefs were favored to win Saturday after beating the Blues twice during the regular season. But the Blues kept their season alive with a converted try after the fulltime siren.
