Spieth misses Nelson cut; Kokrak leads by 5 strokes
IRVING, Texas - While big-hitting Jason Kokrak has an AT&T Byron Nelson record five-stroke lead through 36 holes, he knows that is only halfway with plenty of other players who could make a weekend charge.
That includes top-ranked Dustin Johnson. But not local favorite Jordan Spieth after he missed the cut Friday for the first time at the tournament where he made his debut as a 16-year-old high school junior.
“Yeah, a bit shocking that’s how it happened,” said Spieth, who missed the cut by a stroke after a 5-under 75 that included a 9 at the par-5 16th hole after he hit two tee shots out of bounds.
Kokrak, ranked 128th in the world, shot a bogey-free 8-under 62 for his career-best scoring round and matched the Nelson’s 36-hole record at 12-under 128. No one has ever had a bigger lead there after two rounds than his five strokes over Billy Horschel (65), who finished with three consecutive birdies.
“It’s 36 holes. You’ve got the No. 1 player in the world chasing you, you’ve got x-number of other players that are outstanding players,” Kokrak said, when asked about having wiggle room. “Same game plan, just give myself birdie opportunities.”
Maybe as surprising as Kokrak’s big lead halfway through the last Nelson to be played at TPC Four Seasons is the 23year-old Spieth, the 2015 Masters and U.S. Open champion, done playing this week.
Spieth also missed the cut last week in The Players Championship. He last missed consecutive cuts in 2015.
With a 3-over total after the horrendous 16th hole, and needing at least one birdie, Spieth’s 17-foot birdie try at No. 17 curled by the cup, and he missed a 14footer on 18.
“It didn’t need to happen. Just playing fine and I tried to just, you know, press it to try to reach the green in two, and then I tried to do it again,” Spieth said, referring to the par-5 16th.
Kokrak finished with a nice par save after driving way right at the 18th. The ball landed in the rough closer to the first fairway with a temporary concession stand between him and the hole. He didn’t take potential relief because that line would have put him directly behind a tree, but he hit the ball back in the fairway short of the green before chipping to 6 feet.
“I made a lot of birdies out there but it was nice,” Kokrak said.
“Just keeping a clean card is always a goal. … It was nice to get it up and down.”
The only other time Kokrak had the 36-hole lead in 146 career PGA Tour starts was at the 2016 Northern Trust Open, where he ended up with a careerbest tie for second.
Johnson had his second consecutive 67 and was tied for third with Byeong Hun An (bogey-free 66), Bud Cauley (67), Cameron Tringale (68), Jhonttan Vegas (68) and first-round co-leader James Hahn (70).
Sergio Garcia, the Masters champion who is defending his second Nelson title, birdied six of his last 15 holes for a 65 to get to 2 under. He opened with a 73, and was at 4 over for the tournament after his only bogey Friday on his third hole.
LPGA Tour
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - Lexi Thompson shot her second straight 6under 65 on Friday to take a threestroke over playing partner Gerina Piller into the weekend at the Kingsmill Championship.
Piller shot a 67, closing birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey. She’s winless on the LPGA Tour.
Champions Tour
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Fred Funk shot a 7-under 65 on Friday to take the second-round lead in the Regions Tradition.
The 60-year-old Funk, seeking his first PGA Tour Champions individual title since 2012, had a one-stroke lead over Scott Parel in the first of the 50and-over circuit’s five majors.
Scott McCarron, part of a four-way tie for the first-round lead, was three shots back after a 70.
European Tour
VERDURA, Sicily - Alvaro Quiros birdied his final four holes to move into the lead at the halfway stage of the Rocco Forte Open on Friday and round off a stunning return to form.
Quiros added a second-round 64 to his opening 63 to sit on 15-under-par after 36 holes.