SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda — Alex Noren began with three birdies, after which he puzzled if he would make one other. He picked up two extra late within the second spherical Friday and posted a 5-under 66 for a two-shot lead going into the weekend on the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.
Noren lastly obtained a putt to fall on the par-4 fifteenth, added a birdie on the par-5 seventeenth and wound up setting the event file at 15-under 127.
He had a two-shot lead over Ryan Moore (64), and Satoshi Kodaira and Ryan Brehm, who every shot a 65, because the wind at Port Royal started to no less than trigger some doubt.
Noren felt he performed about the identical as he did on Thursday when he opened with a 61, with one massive exception.
“The wedges got here up 15 toes as a substitute of 5, and had a bunch of tap-ins yesterday,” he stated. “The greens … it is numerous slope and numerous grain. The primary three birdies I simply form of rolled in, after which it was slightly trickier.”
Moore performed bogey-free, sooner or later after he felt he may barely maintain the ball on the golf course and was saved by his placing. That gave him a jolt of confidence that he did not should hit it nice to attain effectively, and it carried over to the second spherical.
The timing is essential. Moore, a former Ryder Cup participant, is at No. 140 within the FedEx Cup. The PGA Tour season ends subsequent week and the highest 125 maintain full PGA Tour playing cards. For gamers like Moore, it is time to ship.
“It is time to do it or you do not, proper?” Moore stated. “Fortuitously for me this week, I have been doing it higher and really feel slightly bit higher. Constructed some confidence on my final couple weeks, simply totally different components of my recreation beginning to work higher and that is what you need to see. Hopefully, it stays that manner.”
Brehm began 64-65, and he can solely hope this can be a repeat from one other island. The Michigan native had by no means had a high 10 on the PGA Tour till he gained the Puerto Rico Open in 2022. He hasn’t had a high 10 since then.
He already is exempt for subsequent 12 months, although one other out-of-nowhere victory would get him again to Kapalua to begin the 12 months and to the Masters for the primary time.
Camilo Villegas, a runner-up final week in Mexico, had a 63 and was within the group three photographs behind. The Colombian moved from No. 223 final week to No. 147. The highest 150 have conditional standing subsequent 12 months, however Villegas now has motive to make all of it the way in which to a full card.
“Two good rounds to get began, identical as final week,” Villegas stated. “Two good rounds to get began and we’re solely midway there, however we’ll maintain enjoying.”
Former British Open champion Stewart Cink, who turned 50 this 12 months and has dabbled on the PGA Tour Champions, had a 67 and was amongst these at 11-under 131.
Adam Scott performed within the morning and shot 67 to get to inside 5 photographs of the lead, together with NCAA champion Fred Biondi, who had a 64.
Noren did not get annoyed when he adopted three straight birdies with 11 straight pars.
“It helps whenever you had a very good spherical the day gone by,” Noren stated. “You are not essentially struggling, not annoyed, it is simply that, ‘What am I doing totally different? Am I attempting too exhausting or begin asking caddie for the reads?’ He helps me on and off with the reads, nevertheless it’s in all probability higher that I simply really feel the putts and belief my intuition. That is what I did yesterday. You have to simply stick with it.”
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