LA QUINTA, Calif. — Sam Burns shot one of the best spherical of his life with “RTR” shaved into the facet of his head. The acronym for “Roll Tide Roll” was the LSU product’s follicular punishment for shedding a guess with Justin Thomas.
Alabama sophomore Nick Dunlap apparently took it actually, nevertheless: The 20-year-old beginner sensation is correct on Burns’ heels after two days of low scores and scorching shot-making within the Coachella Valley.
Burns fired a career-low 61 on Friday to take a one-shot lead over Michael Kim and a two-shot lead on Dunlap at The American Categorical.
Whereas Burns was at 17-under 127 after his second straight spectacular spherical, Dunlap and South Korea’s Ok.H. Lee had been 15 underneath. Fifteen gamers had been inside 4 pictures of the lead in perfect circumstances on three easy programs.
Dunlap, the one non-professional within the 156-man discipline, shot 65 with six birdies on the entrance 9 and one other on the 18th to remain in competition. Dunlap joined Tiger Woods final yr as the one winners of each the U.S. Novice and the U.S. Junior Novice, which Dunlap received in 2021.
“It is a cool spot to be in,” Dunlap stated. “I’ve at all times stated stress is a privilege. I received a terrific alternative to be right here, and to really feel what I felt on 16, 17, 18. … Hopefully if I preserve enjoying nicely, it is solely going to enlarge.”
Solely seven amateurs have received on the PGA Tour since 1945. Phil Mickelson was the final one, doing it in Tucson, Arizona, in 1991.
“It should be a form of a shootout, it looks like,” Dunlap stated. “So pedal to the metallic, and attempt to make some putts.”
Burns scorched the Nicklaus Match course for seven birdies and two eagles, beginning with an eagle on the fourth. He made a second eagle on the eleventh and added 4 straight birdies from Nos. 13-16 to get in place for the third sub-60 spherical on this match’s historical past.
He did not get them, however his two ending pars resulted in one of the best spherical of his profession. Burns shot 62 on the BMW Championship final season and on the Byron Nelson in 2021.
“Clearly, all people is taking pictures some good numbers, so (I am) simply making an attempt to maintain tempo and making an attempt to hit as many high quality pictures and get as many appears as attainable,” stated Burns, who has 5 PGA Tour victories. “I believe the greens are actually good round La Quinta and (Nicklaus) and Stadium, so I believe it comes right down to with the ability to make some key putts.”
Not every little thing went completely for Burns, who took off his hat after sinking his ultimate putt and inadvertently revealed the “RTR” to the tv viewers. The Louisiana native took Thomas’ gleeful shaming good-naturedly on social media this week and once more after his landmark spherical.
“Fortunately I get to put on a hat each day, and attempt to preserve it on so long as attainable,” Burns stated with a grimace. “Celebrating (Nick) Saban’s retirement, as all people else in Louisiana is.”
Kim is a product of Southern California’s junior golf scene, and he performed repeatedly within the Palm Springs space throughout his youth. He used that familiarity with the American Categorical programs to shoot 65-63 within the first two rounds, together with six birdies on the again 9 of the Nicklaus course Friday.
“I even bear in mind a few of the pictures I hit into them 10, 15 years in the past,” stated Kim, who grew up in San Diego. “So it is enjoyable to form of return into the reminiscence financial institution and simply bear in mind a few of the extra stress-free instances, I assume.”
First-round co-leader Alex Noren of Sweden holed an extended birdie putt on the 18th on the Nicklaus course to shoot 68, leaving him three pictures again of Burns. Zach Johnson, the opposite first-round chief, shot 69 on Nicklaus and was 4 again.
Burns fell simply wanting the third 59 within the historical past of this match, the previous Bob Hope Desert Traditional. David Duval did it in 1999 within the ultimate spherical on the Palmer Non-public Course, and Adam Hadwin matched it in 2017 within the third spherical at La Quinta Nation Membership.
Hadwin is at 14 underneath this yr after back-to-back 65s to begin.
The minimize will likely be made at 54 holes after all the discipline has performed all three programs. The ultimate spherical is on the Stadium course, sometimes essentially the most troublesome of the three.
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