ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Michael Phelps can putt a little, too. The Olympic swimming great upstaged some of golf's finest players Friday by sinking an astonishing 153-foot putt during the second round of team play at the Dunhill Links Championship. The putt came after Phelps drove the front edge of the green on the par-4 sixth hole at Kingsbarn. He then stepped up with his putter for his second shot, stroked the ball and watched as it rolled and rolled downhill and into the cup. It took about 17 seconds for the ball to land in the hole, or slightly quicker than it takes Phelps to swim 50 yards. Phelps, playing the team event with a 16 handicap, received a stroke on the hole and signed for an aggregate ‘1' on his scorecard. “That was the longest putt I've ever holed,” said the winner of 18 Olympic gold medals. “It was pretty incredible, watching it dive in was a pretty cool feeling. So to be able to have a net hole-in-one was pretty special. “Even without that, this trip would have been very special, just having the opportunity to come over here and play among some of these players has been absolutely incredible.” Phelps recorded a net eagle ‘two' at the next hole with pro partner Paul Casey. They moved to 9-under overall. Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee and his amateur partner, Hugh Courtney Jr., lead the team format at 21-under. Blixt, De Jonge share lead Sweden's Jonas Blixt and Zimbabwe's Brendon de Jonge shared the lead after Friday's second round of the US PGA $4.5 million Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas. Blixt fired his second consecutive seven-under par 64 while de Jonge shot 66 to match the Swede on 14-under par 128 after 36 holes. Blixt took a bogey at the third hole but answered with back-to-back birdies on the next two holes and an eagle on the par-4 seventh. Back to back birdies at the par-5 ninth and par-4 10th and another at the par-5 13th put him in front. Birdies on three of the last four holes could have stretched his lead but a double bogey at the par-3 17th kept him within reach of the late starters. Back-nine starter De Jonge took advantage, sandwiching an eagle at the 15th between birdies at the par-5 13th and 16th holes. He followed a bogey at 18 with a birdie at the first. Another at the par-3 fifth tied him for the lead. American Ryan Moore was one stroke off the pace with countrymen Tim Herron and Daniel Summerhays sharing fourth on 131. — Agencies
