SILVIS, Sick. (AP) — Doug Ghim holed out from the green for eagle for the second straight day, sending him to a 3-under 68 and a one-shot lead Friday within the John Deere Traditional, his first 36-hole lead in his six years on the PGA Tour.
Defending champion Davis Thompson (63) and Max Homa (68) have been among the many 5 gamers inside one shot of the lead going into the weekend.
The beginning occasions have been moved up Saturday due to rain within the forecast. Trios will likely be going off early with major end-of-round protection airing from 1-4 p.m. on CBS, Paramount+, CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports App.
Ghim holed out on the brief par-4 sixth within the opening spherical. This time it was from 179 yards away on the par-4 fifteenth.
“I suppose holing out two days in a row is all the time good,” Ghim mentioned. “It has been a pair years since I holed out from the green. To get two back-to-back days is nice.”
Ghim had a two-shot lead till hitting left into the timber and down a cart path, punching out via the inexperienced and chipping to 18 ft, lacking the putt to make his second bogey of the spherical. He was at 12-under 130.
Mexico Open winner Brian Campbell (66), David Lipsky (67) and Emiliano Grillo (66) have been tied for second
Ghim nonetheless feels a great distance off from an opportunity to win for the primary time at a event that has produced extra first-time winners than any PGA Tour occasion since 1970.
“The individual that’s going to win this event will likely be within the 20-under par space, so final time I checked I am not there but,” Ghim mentioned. “I do not really feel like I am within the lead, and I am simply completely happy that I get to be teeing off late tomorrow in competition.”
Homa was tied with Ghim late within the afternoon, when the greens have been getting dry and crusty. However on the 18th gap, he pulled his tee shot right into a bunker, lacking the inexperienced to the suitable and wound up lacking a 12-foot par putt to fall one again.
He is nonetheless in fine condition going into the weekend as he tries to get his sport rotated. Placing 4 rounds collectively, and even three rounds, has been the problem and Homa didn’t sound like he was keen to get too far forward of himself.
“I do not suppose actually a lot modifications. I imply, simply play the golf course,” Homa mentioned. “You are going to need to shoot actually low. In the event you went on the market and tried to do one thing particular, I am not so certain that’s going to work. Any individual can go on the market and shoot 11 underneath on the market and soar everyone. So simply go do what we did at the moment and play one other spherical of golf.
“Simply maintain ready till the again 9 on Sunday principally.”
Thompson performed within the morning and was the primary to achieve 11-under 131 as he tries to grow to be the primary repeat winner of the John Deere Traditional since Steve Stricker gained three in a row from 2009 via 2011.
There was excessive drama late within the day that wound up setting the reduce at 5-under 137.
Rikuya Hoshino and Jesper Svensson every made birdie on their final gap to maneuver the reduce line to five underneath, just for Paul Peterson to take bogey on his final gap to maneuver it again to 4 underneath.
However within the ultimate group, Brendan Valdes drilled his tee shot on the par-4 18th, hit his method to about 8 ft and holed the birdie putt for a 66. That moved the in the reduction of to five underneath, eliminating 14 gamers from the weekend.
Rickie Fowler and Jake Knapp wound up making the reduce on the quantity.
In the meantime, 12 gamers have been separated by two pictures going into the third spherical, a gaggle that features Camilo Villegas, Sam Stevens and Si Woo Kim. Stevens and Kim are attempting to complete excessive sufficient to maneuver up the world rating that will likely be used subsequent week to set the alternate record for the British Open.