Lucas Glover fired a six-under-par 64 to take a one-stroke lead after Friday’s second round of the St Jude Championship, the FedEx Cup playoff opener.
The 43-year-old American, who won the 2009 US Open, made four birdies and an eagle in a bogey-free round to stand on 10-under 130 after 36 holes at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee.
Three-time Major winner Jordan Spieth, who led after an opening 63, was second on nine-under 131 with a pack on eight-under 132 including fellow American Taylor Moore, South Koreans Tom Kim and Im Sung-jae, Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo and England’s Tommy Fleetwood.
Glover won last week’s Wyndham Championship to seize a spot in the PGA Tour’s 70-player post-season, with 50 advancing to next week’s BMW Championship and only 30 qualifying for the Tour Championship in two weeks at Atlanta.
“It’s just kind of a carryover from the last few weeks,” Glover said. “Just trying not to overcomplicate things, make good, positive swings and stay aggressive.
“Playing well and executing pretty much what I’m seeing. Don’t over think it and no need to change anything, just keep riding it.”
Glover, who snapped a two-year win drought at Greensboro last Sunday, had been in the top six in three of his four PGA Tour starts last month before his breakthrough.
“I’m old enough to know it can change the other way in a hurry, too, so ride the wave and just don’t overthink it, keep going, and play until it runs out and then figure it out after that,” he said.
Glover, who began on the back nine, made a 31-foot birdie putt at the par-four 13th and, after driving the green in two at the par-five 16th, sank an eagle putt from just beyond 32 feet.
He sank a 20-foot birdie putt at the par-four 3rd and holed out from the fringe at just over 27 feet on the par-three 4th. At 6, he dropped he approach three feet from the hole and tapped in for birdie.
“Pleased with how I played,” Glover said. “It has been a good few months with the long putter.
“Confidence is high and I’m liking what I’m seeing.”
Spieth, the world No 12 who has yet to win this year, had six birdies and four bogeys in shooting 68. The back-nine starter grabbed second with a 19-foot birdie putt at the 7th hole and a four-footer at the 8th.
“It’s funny, I felt like I had better control of my swing today than yesterday,” Spieth said. “I got stuck with a couple numbers where I maybe played the wrong shot, wrong decision, and didn’t play patiently early. Then I made a couple bad swings as well.”
Four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy fired a 66 to stand on seven-under 133 in a pack that included world No 1 Scottie Scheffler, who birdied three of the last four holes to shoot 66.
They played alongside reigning Masters champion Jon Rahm, the season playoff points leader from Spain who holed out from a bunker to par 18 and shoot 67 to finish on even-par 140.
© Agence France-Presse
