Tech stars Kuchar, Molder hitting their strides

HAVEN, Wis. -- As studs at Georgia Tech, Matt Kuchar and Bryce Molder wore the "can't miss'' tag for the next level like it was made of featherweight graphite. Turned out to be much heavier. Such are the vagaries of sport.

On Friday, however, the can't-miss kids finally didn't, tag-teaming a benign Whistling Straits for a combined 13-under par. Kuchar finished off a sterling opening round 67, then posted 69 with laser-like approaches in the afternoon. Molder, a year behind Kuchar at Tech, bogeyed his final hole in the afternoon round to shoot 67.

"Fortunately I got on a run at the right time, which was number five (starting a stretch of holes that played downwind),'' said Molder of his five-under total. It put him in a tie for fourth place with Jason Dufner with much of the field still waiting to start the second round because of a lengthy fog delay for the second consecutive day. "I hit some good shots. I hit a couple shots that were just okay that ended up good. And I made everything.''

Molder had a fairly simple explanation for the struggle both players faced fresh out of college.

"Well, we thought it (success) might happen a little sooner,'' he said. "Things happened. This game's tough. There's a lot of really good players. Sometimes it takes a little while to figure out how to play our best, how to maximize your efforts out here. I feel like he's just hitting his stride and I'm doing the same.''

-- Pete McDaniel