Dechambeau dominates 2nd round of 3M
♦ The 25-year-old shoots a career-low 62 to lead at 14-under at the first-time PGA Tour event.
BLAINE, Minn. — Bryson Dechambeau figured a score well into the double digits below par could win the inaugural 3M Open.
He’s already there, halfway through.
Dechambeau dominated the second round, racking up nine birdies to finish Friday at a career-low 62 and vault into the lead with a 14-under-par score halfway through the first-time PGA Tour event at the TPC Twin Cities.
The 25-year-old Dechambeau, who entered the week eighth in the world rankings, hit greens in regulation on 17 of 18 holes. He sank four putts from 20-plus feet, including the No. 7 and No. 8 holes during a commanding surge on his second nine.
“You’re not going to be perfect, but I can keep driving it well just like I have been, and become more and more confident, that’s the Bryson we saw last year,” said Dechambeau, who went bogeyfree over the first two days for the first time in his career.
Adam Hadwin arrived in the clubhouse in second place at 12-under, after five birdies in a steely performance on the back nine amid an on-and-off drizzle during the afternoon. Hadwin, who finished sixth a month ago at the Canadian Open in his native country, shot a 66 to follow up his first-round 64. He was well aware when he teed off exactly how far he’d have to come to pull within striking distance of Dechambeau.
“I am the quintessential leaderboard watcher. I know almost at any point where everybody is at, even at 9 a.m. on Thursday morning,” Hadwin said. “I knew. I obviously knew that low scores were available today, but at the same time you still have to be patient. You still have to let it come.”
Scott Piercy, who opened a two-stroke lead with a 62 in the first round Thursday, started on No. 10 and sputtered through the windless, muggy morning with five bogeys on his first nine to offset an eagle. Piercy still came in at 10-under. He was joined by Sam Burns, Brian Harman and Sam Saunders in a fourway tie for third place.
Dechambeau played with Keegan Bradley and Charles Howell III, who used two eagles to shoot 66 and reach the weekend at 8-under. Tony Finau joined Howell in that large group by chipping in for eagle on the 18th.
Just ahead of them, in a smaller bunch tied for seventh at 9-under, was Arjun Atwal, a 46-year-old from India who became one of four late qualifiers Monday for the 156-player field by shooting a 62.
World No. 1 Brooks Koepka had another quiet day, finishing at 3-under.
The biggest name to miss the cut was Phil Mickelson, who has failed to reach the weekend in four of his last six events. After taking a triple bogey on his way to a 74 in the first round, Mickelson shot a 73 to finish 2-over.
Dechambeau entered the event tied for just 133rd on the tour in greens in regulation. His previous best round on the tour, which he joined in 2017, was a 63 he posted three times. The most recent one was at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January, when he finished tied for 10th.