Knight, Szokol team up for 62

MIDLAND, Mich. — Cheyenne Knight and Elizabeth Szokol birdied six of the last eight holes in alternate-shot play for an 8-under 62 and a three-stroke lead Friday in the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, the LPGA Tour’s lone team event.

Knight made a 25-foot birdie putt on the par-3 18th in windy conditions at Midland Country Club to break the tournament alternate-shot round record and 54-hole scoring mark at 18-under 192.

Matilda Castren and Kelly Tan were second after a 68. Former UNM golfer Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Emma Talley were tied for third at 13 under with Celine Borge and Polly Mack. Shadoff-Talley shot 70, and Borge-Mack had a 68.

PGA TOUR: In Truckee, Calif., Ryan Gerard had seven birdies in a bogey-free second round Friday to take a fourpoint lead over Patrick Rodgers in the Barracuda Championship.

Co-sanctioned by the European tour, the tournament uses the Modified Stableford scoring system. Five points are awarded for eagle and two for birdie, while a point is deducted for bogey and three for double bogey.

“Really just making sure that I’m hitting the proper shots to the proper sides and not getting overly aggressive,” Gerard said. “I know this is a format where guys like to go out and kind of pin their ears back. But just been trying to pick my spots and play to my strengths.”

Gerard had 30 points after the 14-point day on the Tahoe Mountain Club’s par-71 Old Greenwood layout. The 23-year-old former North Carolina player has special temporary membership on the PGA Tour.

Vincent Norrman, the tour rookie from Sweden who won aplayoff Sunday in the Barbasol Championship for his first tour title, was third with 23 points. He eagled the par-5 12th in a 12-point round.