Canada’s Taylor Pendrith fired a bogey-free eight-under-par 64 to share the lead with American Taylor Moore after Friday’s second round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Pendrith, chasing his first PGA Tour title, and Moore, who won his first Tour crown in March, stood on 13-under 131 after 36 holes at Detroit Golf Club.
World No 127 Pendrith has only managed one top-10 effort this season, a share of seventh at Pebble Beach, but is bogey-free so far.
“I played very solid, no bogeys again today, which was great,” he said. “Hit a lot of really good wedge shots on my front nine. Back nine was a little bit more of a grind, but putter kept me in it.
“All in all, super happy and excited for the weekend.”
Moore, ranked 51st, was sixth at last year’s event and on Thursday shared the 18-hole lead for the first time in any PGA Tour event with an opening 64.
“I got off to a good start, felt like I got into a pretty good rhythm,” Moore said. “Saw some putts go in and was pleased about that. Feeling good for the weekend.”
Swedish rookie Ludvig Aberg and Rickie Fowler shared third on 12-under 132 with two-time Major winner Collin Morikawa, fellow Americans Adam Schenk and Justin Lower and England’s Aaron Rai sharing fifth on 11-under 133.
South Africa’s MJ Daffue is eight-under 136 (T19) having followed a 66 on Thursday with a second-round 70, while Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Garrick Higgo are both four-under 140 after rounds of 71 and 69.
Dylan Frittelli and Erik van Rooyen (both one-under 143) and Aldrich Potgieter (two-over 146) missed the cut.
Defending champion Tony Finau also missed the cut after shooting 71 to stand on one-under 143.
Pendrith was a runner-up last year at Detroit.
“I learned a lot from last year, and got to play aggressive,” Pendrith said. “There are still tons of birdies out there, so I must just stay aggressive and keep making birdies.”
Pendrith began with a birdie at 10 after putting his approach just outside three feet, then sank a 31-foot birdie putt at the 12th and reeled off three birdies in a row starting with an 18-foot birdie putt at the par-three 15th.
His approach landed inches from the hole at 16 and he sank a five-foot birdie putts at the par-five 17th and par-four 1st.
Pendrith added back-to-back birdies from just inside 18 feet at 3 and 22 feet at the par-five 4th to grab a share of the lead at 13 under.
Moore won his first Tour title at the Valspar Championship in March but has missed three cuts since finishing 72nd in May at the PGA Championship.
Moore began his round with a birdie at the 10th hole, made bogey at 16 and answered with birdie putts at the next three holes, including a 21-footer at 18 and a 16-footer at the first.
He added birdies at the 3rd and the par-five 4th and 7th before stumbling with a bogey at the 8th after finding a fairway bunker.
© Agence France-Presse
