DeChambeau gets career-best 64
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Bryson DeChambeau shot a careerbest 7-under 64 on Friday to take the lead into the weekend at the RBC Heritage Classic. DeChambeau’s first event as a pro was at Harbour Town Golf Links in 2016. Two years later, he posted his lowest ever on the PGA Tour to get to 10-under 132, one ahead of red-hot Ian Poulter and Si Woo Kim.
Poulter showed he’s not done playing high-level golf with a bogey-free 64. Kim, The Players Championship winner, had a 65 that included a two-shot penalty for touching sand after a bunker shot. Two shots behind DeChambeau were Chasson Hadley (68), past RBC Heritage winner Brandt Snedeker (64), Luke List (64) and first-round leader Rory Sabbatini (70).
World No. 1 Dustin Johnson shot a second straight 69 and was tied for 26th, six shots off the lead.
DeChambeau, 24, jumpstarted his round with an eagle on the par-5 and took over the lead with birdies on the 13th, 15th, 16th and 17th holes. He made a kneeknocking 12-footer for par on the 18th hole after his approach landed in a frontside bunker. DeChambeau pumped his fist when the ball curled in, as pleased with his improved putting as his composure at rallying late to the lead.
“Two years, it’s DeChambeau said.
He won for the first time on tour last summer, shooting a pair of 65s on the way to taking the John Deere Classic. He’s had three top-10s this season, including a second last month at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. DeChambeau is certain his play at Harbour Town is simply the next step in his progress. time,”
“I’m figuring out a lot of great things that are helping me on the golf course,” he said.
Poulter has learned plenty the past few weeks. He was the talk of golf two weeks back with his stunning playoff win at Houston, where he made a 20-foot birdie on the 72nd hole to force a playoff, then beat Beau Hossler on the first extra hole to gain entrance to Augusta National.
After an opening 69 at Harbour Town, Poulter put on a dazzling second-round bogey-free display. Poulter briefly took the lead alone with a 16-foot birdie on the par-3 seventh. He had a chance to reach 10-under but lipped out an 8-footer on his final hole, the ninth. Poulter has shot five sub-70 rounds in his last six times around Harbour Town.
In all, there were 53 rounds in the 60s among the 130 players who competed Friday. Players missing the cut included Paul Casey, Marc Leishman and Tyrell Hatton, all ranked among the top 20. In addition, Kelly Kraft’s ball hit a bird in flight on the par-3 14th hole and the ball dropped into the water in front of the green. Kraft made double bogey and finished at 1-over par, missing the cut by a stroke. Kraft said his ball glance off a large black bird that flew off after the glancing blow.
MADRID — Paul Dunne shot a 7-under 65 to take a three-shot lead after the second round of the Spanish Open on Friday. The Irishman had nine birdies at the Centro Nacional de Golf, moving to 13-under for the tournament. Dunne finished in style with four birdies in his final five holes.