Thomas gets a check-List
jeju — World number four Justin Thomas saw his three-shot overnight lead quickly blown away in gusting winds in Friday’s second round of the CJ Cup on Jeju Island.
American Luke List leads the elite 78-man field at the US PGA Tour’s first-ever event in South Korea after he compiled one of the few bogey-free cards, adding a 67 to his opening round 68 to reach nine-under par.
“Any time you go bogey-free you’re really happy about it,” said List, who leads the $9.25 million tournament by a shot. “The wind was tricky today (Friday) but I was able to save par a lot and then played solid on the back nine.”
Nine-under was the same mark on which FedEx Cup champion Thomas had started the day after a sizzling 63 in benign conditions at the Nine Bridges layout on Thursday. He was 11 shots worse as he slumped to a 74 on Friday.
The 23-year-old PGA Tour Player of the Year dropped three shots on the front nine which took him 39 strokes, having made the turn in 29 on Thursday.
He did manage a first birdie at the 10th but took six at the 18th to come home in 35 and slide down to a share of fourth place on seven-under par with Australia’s Cameron Smith, who had a round of 68.
“It was really difficult out there,” said Thomas. “I really fought back hard to get it to one-over going into 18, which was kind of our goal after 11 or 12 holes.
“When we got there, it switched into the wind. It has nothing to do with the six shots it took me to play the hole and that sums up the day. It wasn’t the best.”
Ahead of that pair on eight-under are the 2009 US Open champion Lucas Glover, who also shot 67, and fellow American Scott Brown who added a two-under 70 to his opening 66.
“It was whipping around pretty good the first four or five holes on the back,” Glover said of the varying wind whistling around the nearby Halla Mountain.
“But last three or four holes, it was out of the other direction and then swung back so it was difficult to pick.” —