Reigning PGA rookie of the year Will Zalatoris fired a course-record 61 to seize a share of the lead after the second round of the Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi.
Zalatoris, who started his round on the 10th hole, rolled in six birdies on his back nine, including two straight on a pair of par fours, to cap his round and move into a tie for the lead with Nick Watney and first-round leader Sahith Theegala.
“The days where I make 20-footers, those are the days that I end up putting a great round together, because I’m always going to be the guy that’s going to hit 14-plus greens to give myself chances,” Zalatoris said.
Watney shot a 66 on Friday and Theegala had a 67 to reach a 13-under-131 total.
Americans Cameron Young and Hayden Buckley both shot 65s and are tied for fourth, one stroke back of the leaders at the Country Club of Jackson course in Jackson, Mississippi. Canada’s Roger Sloan is alone in sixth at 11 under after a 67.
A half dozen golfers, including Sweden’s Henrik Norlander and American Sam Burns, are tied for seventh at 10 under.
This week’s tournament is taking place with a depleted field, with most of the stars involved in last week’s Ryder Cup opting to skip the event.
Spain’s defending champion, Sergio Garcia, the only player in the field who played the Ryder Cup last week, shot his second straight 70 and missed the cut by just one stroke.
Watney charged out of the gate Friday with four birdies in his first six holes to finish with a 66.
“It didn’t seem that stressful,” Watney said. “For the most part I kept it in the right spot on the greens and I made a few kind of bonus putts that you might not expect to make. So, those are always fun.”
Second-year player Theegala capped his round with a 30-foot birdie putt for a 67. Earlier he chipped in for eagle on the par-five 3rd hole.
Former US Open champion Gary Woodland had a 73 and like Garcia missed the cut by one stroke.
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