• DeChambeau holds halfway lead at World Challenge

    Bryson DeChambeau
    Bryson DeChambeau
    Published on

    Bryson DeChambeau fired an eight-under-par 64 to seize a one-stroke lead over a trio of US compatriots after Friday’s second round of the Hero World Challenge.

    DeChambeau, last year’s US Open champion, made 10 birdies and a double-bogey to stand on 11 under 133 after 36 holes in the 20-man invitational hosted by Tiger Woods at the Albany resort in the Bahamas.

    Second-ranked Collin Morikawa, 13th-ranked Tony Finau and world No 16 Brooks Koepka shared second on 134 with American Daniel Berger another stroke adrift.

    World No 7 DeChambeau opened with a birdie, added back-to-back birdies at the par-five 6th and par-four 7th, then reeled off runs of three birdies in a row starting at the par-five 9th and again at the par-four 13th.

    DeChambeau, however, found waste area bushes left of the fairway at the par-four 16th and took a double-bogey.

    “Just keep playing golf. Nothing more,” DeChambeau said of his thoughts after the setback. “Frustrated obviously, but nothing I could do. I pulled the drive. It went into a bush. Had to move on.”

    The 28-year-old American, whose only 2021 title came at Bay Hill in March, birdied the par-three 17th and closed with a par.

    Told he might be paired with rival Brooks Koepka on Saturday, DeChambeau only replied, “Sweet.” Four-time Major winner Koepka beat DeChambeau 4&3 in a 12-hole matchplay event last week in Las Vegas.

    But it was not to be as Koepka couldn’t match him for the lead.

    Koepka birdied the par-five 3rd and par-four 4th and added another at the 7th before taking a bogey at the par-three 8th. He began the back nine with a birdie and added birdies at 14 and the par-five 15th on his way to a 67.

    “Very pleased with how I’m playing,” Koepka said. “I just need to keep doing that.”

    Asked about a possible Sunday pairing with DeChambeau, Koepka said: “I’ve already proved everything last week, so I’m good.”

    Morikawa, who will play alongside DeChambeau in Saturday’s final duo, would overtake Spain’s Jon Rahm for world No 1 with a victory.

    “It’s a huge bonus but I’ve got to focus on the win,” Morikawa said. “I’ve put myself in a good position after the first two days but I’ve got to keep the focus up and make a couple more birdies.”

    Morikawa, who got engaged earlier in the week, opened and closed the front nine with birdies with another at the 4th in between.

    He followed a birdie at the par-five 11th with a bogey at 12 but then birdied 13 and 14 and eagled the par-five 15th to reach 11 under.

    But at 18, Morikawa’s tee shot landed behind a small bush right of the fairway and he closed with a bogey to shoot 66 and fall from a share of the lead.

    “When I put myself in the fairway, I was making the birdies,” Morikawa said. “It was kind of an up-and-down day.”

    Finau birdied the par-five 3rd and 6th as well as 7 but began the back nine with a bogey. He answered with birdies at the par-three 12th plus 14 and 15 and closed with the first birdie of the week at the 18th.

    Four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy, a co-leader after shooting 66 on Thursday, fired a 71 on Friday to stand four off the pace. He opened and closed the front nine with bogeys, added another at 18 and made double-bogey at 14 after rolling a putt off the green.

    Leaderboard

    © Agence France-Presse

    Article written by

    ×