Leader de Jonge has ‘a good chance’
6-under gives him lead at halfway point at Valspar Championship
Brendon de Jonge rolled in a pair of long putts on his way to a 2-under 69 and the 36-hole lead Friday in the Valspar Championship. Based on the holes remaining, he is halfway home to his first PGA Tour title.
Considering how many players are still in the mix — essentially everyone who made the cut — the weekend might feel even longer.
Only seven shots separated de Jonge from the players who made the cut on the number, the first time the first-to-worst gap has been that small since the 2011 British Open at Royal St. George’s.
“Obviously, gives you a good chance for the weekend,” de Jonge said. He was at 6-under 136, the highest score to lead after 36 holes at Innisbrook in six years.
De Jonge said that after he finished his round in the morning, he was uncertain how hard the wind would blow and who might get hot with the putter. The wind died, no one could sustain a great round without a few mistakes and he had the 36-hole lead for the fourth time in his career. But not by much. Jordan Spieth made a birdie putt from the fringe on the 18th for a 4-under 67 to match the best score of the round. Henrik Stenson, playing the Copperhead course for the first time and apparently enjoying it, made eagle on his first hole and wound up with a 70.
They were one shot behind, along with Ryan Moore (68), Kevin Streelman (69) and Derek Ernst (70).
Ernst, who had only one round in the 60s this year, ran off five straight birdies around the turn to reach 8-under par until he started missing greens, missing putts and making bogeys to fall one shot behind de Jonge.
Lucas Glover had a 69 and joined Moore and Streelman as the only players to break 70s for both rounds. He was two shots behind, along with Sean O’Hair (72), Ricky Barnes (72) and Ian Poulter (70). Poulter hasn’t been to Innisbrook since 2010, and he was asked what had kept him away.
“Because I’m a buffoon,” Poulter said. “I mean, stupid. This golf course I can compete on because it’s fiddly, it’s position off the tee, small greens, need to chip it well, good pace putting when you’re above the hole. All those things I do well.”
Poulter recalls the greens being sloppy the last time he played, and so he instructed his caddy to never allow him to return. Seven holes into his pro-am round, he said he told his caddy, “What the ... was I doing not being here?”
Justin Thomas (72) and Vijay Singh (70) were in the group at 3-under 139, with Luke Donald (68), Matt Kuchar (70) and Patrick Reed (68) among those four behind.
Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C. was top Canadian, tied for 15th after a 70 that put him 1-under.
Adam Hadwin, also of Abbotsford, and David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., were tied for 57th at plus-1 after shooting 75 and 73 respectively.