Cameron Young hit a seven-under par 64 to grab a two-stroke lead after Friday’s second round of the PGA John Deere Classic.

After 36 holes at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois, the 26-year-old American, in pursuit of his first PGA Tour victory after six runner-up finishes in the past two years, was at 13-under 129.

“Nice to have two really good days to start the tournament,” Young said.

Young, most recently a runner-up at the WGC Match Play in March, has as many runner-up finishes without a victory as any player in the past four decades.

“It’s really just a ‘one foot in front of the other’ kind of thing, executing the plan we’ve made for the week,” Young said of chasing his first triumph.

“If I can control my mind and stay in some control of my golf ball, hopefully I’ll give myself a chance in a couple of days.”

Garrick Higgo of South Africa and Americans Adam Schenk and Brendon Todd tied for second place with a score of 131. Ludvig Aberg sat with Americans Denny McCarthy, William Mouw, and Kevin Roy on seat 132.

Young, ranked nineteenth in the world, attributes his early success to his work on his putting.

“Made a few mechanical changes, just really the tempo, and I think it’s helping me control my speed a lot better, which is leading to some better green reading,” Young said.

“I’m seeing good signs. Even the ones that don’t go in, I feel like my speed has been really good and I’ve been rolling it how I mean to — I’ve been able to take a little more confidence.”

Young opened with a four-foot birdie putt on the 10th, chipped in from 29 feet on the 11th, and sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-3 12th. He added birdie putts from approximately eight feet on the par-5 15th and par-5 17th holes.

At the par-5 second, he blasted out of a greenside bunker within inches of the hole and tapped in for a birdie.

After finding a fairway bunker and committing his lone bogey on the fifth hole, Young converted a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-3 seventh and a five-foot birdie putt on the par-3 ninth to win the tournament.

Back-nine starter Higgo shot 66, opening with an eagle and closing with a bogey to fall two strokes behind the leader.

“I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing. I’m not going to change much,” Higgo said. “It’s good momentum going into the next couple weeks.”

US back-nine starter Jim Herman carded seven consecutive birdies between the par-3 16th and par-4 fourth holes en route to a 63 and a tie for 10th place on 134.

Jonas Blixt of Sweden, who led after the first round with a score of 62, followed it up with a 73.

Photo by EPA/ERIK S. LESSER