SILVIS, Unwell. — Brendon Todd scrambled for par on the par-4 18th to take a 1-stroke lead Saturday within the John Deere Traditional, holing a 12-foot putt after drawing a clumsy stance close to a fairway bunker.
Todd had a 5-under 66 in breezy circumstances to achieve 16-under 197 at TPC Deere Run. The three-time PGA Tour winner drove near the left fairway bunker on 18, forcing him to hit together with his left foot in grass and his proper foot effectively beneath within the sand. He superior it 65 yards to arrange a 105-yard wedge.
“Saved me bogey-free and stored me within the lead,” Todd mentioned. “You at all times need to be the man being chased.”
Todd eagled the par-5 second, holing a 25-footer, and birdied Nos. 13, 15 and 16. The 37-year-old former Georgia participant gained the 2014 Byron Nelson and added victories in consecutive begins in November 2019 in Bermuda and Mexico.
“It is simply head down and make birdies,” Todd mentioned. “It’ll be laborious to run away and conceal right here, however that is the aim. Anyone who’s inside three photographs of the lead is trying to go as little as they will. So, there is definitely going to be no protection for me tomorrow. It’ll be the identical stuff.”
Alex Smalley (62), Denny McCarthy (66) and Adam Schenk (67) had been tied for second.
“I really feel like a veteran right here,” Smalley mentioned. “I’ve solely had two years on tour, and that is my third 12 months at this occasion, so it is one of many few occasions the place I really feel like I do know the course decently effectively. I really feel comfy right here. I just like the environment of this event.”
McCarthy eagled the par-4 14th, hitting a 342-drive onto the inexperienced and making a 30-foot putt, then rebounded from a bogey on 16 with a birdie on 17.
“It was fairly gusty,” McCarthy mentioned. “Hit plenty of actually good photographs early on, truly, and simply did not actually convert on a few of the close-in putts, however then made a pair bombs to make up for it.”
Peter Kuest (65) was 14 underneath, with second-round chief Cameron Younger (71) one other stroke again with first-round chief Jonas Blixt (65), Chris Kirk (66), J.T. Poston (65), Lucas Glover (66), Kevin Roy (68), Mark Hubbard (67) and William Mouw (68).
After birdieing Nos. 16 and 17, Younger hit his 165-yard method on 18 left into the water and closed with a double bogey. He has six runner-up finishes on the PGA Tour and not using a victory — tied with Colin Montgomerie and Briny Baird for essentially the most previously 40 years.
U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson, type close by Iowa and a previous John Deere champion, was tied for thirty ninth at 8 underneath after a 67. He made the lower Friday on the quantity.
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