Schenk getting results in 10th straight week, leads PGA Valspar Championship

Adam Schenk is playing for the 10th consecutive week on the PGA Tour and finally seeing some good results, making enough putts Friday for a 2-under 69 that gave him a one-shot lead going into the weekend at the Valspar Championship.

Schenk had four birdies, all but one of them from inside 10 feet, and finished with a bogey from the bunker short of the 18th on the Copperhead course at Innisbrook.

That didn't bother him too much because of the 20-foot putt he made for par on the par-3 eighth, the 10-footer for par he made on the 10th and the long up-and-down for par on the par-5 11th.

"I feel like a lot of times you ... maybe shoot 2 under and you're like, 'It could have been 6 or 7.' But it really couldn't have been a ton better with the amount of putts I made," he said.

He was at 7-under 135, one shot ahead of Kramer Hickok, who had a 68.

Jordan Spieth is a big part of the weekend, wasting a great round of driving with some suspect short irons. He still posted a 70 and was only two shots behind.

Also part of the weekend is Nick Gabrelcik, who grew up about 10 miles away and is a regular at the Valspar Championship — working the range, carrying signs, caddying in the proam. Now the University of North Florida junior is in the field on a sponsor exemption.

Gabrelcik, who lost in the semifinals at Oakmont in the 2021 U.S. Amateur, opened with a 75 and responded with a 67 to easily make the cut. He was at even-par 142.

"Going into the round I was like, 'We got nothing to lose, we're 4 over, so let's just go out and have fun.' Maybe it's the last round, maybe it's not," Gabrelcik said. "Got the putter going early, made four birdies my first five holes and was like, 'All right, let's just keep it together, let's not play defensive now.'

"It's an awesome feeling making my first cut."

Also making the cut was Ludwig Aberg, the No. 1 amateur in the world. Aberg also played the weekend at Bay Hill.

Tommy Fleetwood had a 69 and joined Spieth in the group two shots behind along with Cody Gribble (65) and Davis Riley (68), who lost in a playoff to Sam Burns at Innisbrook last year.

Burns, the two-time defending champion, is trying to become the first player to win the same tournament three straight years since Steve Stricker at the John Deere Classic (200911). He had a 73 and was seven shots behind.

Justin Thomas had a 70 and was in the group at 3-under 139.