LA QUINTA, Calif. — Rookie Davis Thompson made three extra eagles Friday for a complete of 5 by means of 36 holes to tie the PGA Tour report for probably the most in a 72-hole match since 1983, and he nonetheless did not put any extra distance between himself and Jon Rahm at The American Categorical.
Thompson additionally carded his first bogeys of the match, which have been hardly sufficient to sluggish him down. Someday after making consecutive eagles in taking pictures 10-under 62 at La Quinta to take the first-round lead, Thompson carded an 8-under 64 on the Nicklaus Match Course at PGA West. He had three eagles, 4 birdies and two bogeys.
The 23-year-old who performed school golf at Georgia was at 18-under 126, two strokes forward of Rahm, who additionally shot 64 on the Nicklaus course.
“I simply had some good numbers into par-5s and was capable of execute my pictures,” Thompson mentioned. “I had some putts drop. So it was good to make some eagles.”
Truly, it is his total recreation that is going properly within the Southern California desert.
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“I feel placing the ball within the fairway, hitting numerous greens and actually seeing strains properly on my putts,” Thompson mentioned. “Simply all the things is type of clicking these final two days and I am simply wanting ahead to attempting to maintain it rolling tomorrow.”
Thompson will play the Stadium Course on Saturday, which is able to host the ultimate spherical on Sunday after the 54-hole minimize on this pro-am occasion, which makes use of three programs.
Thompson is the second participant to have 5 eagles by means of two rounds at The American Categorical. He matched the report set in 1995 by Scott McCarron, who missed the 72-hole minimize when it was a five-round match.
Thompson, who started his spherical sporting a hoodie within the early-morning chill, eagled his second gap, the par-5 eleventh, when he hit a 5-iron to about 15 toes. He then had two bogeys in 4 holes spanning the flip to briefly lose his lead, however then ran off a string of three birdies and two eagles in a span of 5 holes to go from 1-under to 8-under for his spherical. He eagled the par-5 fourth and the par-5 seventh — hitting the inexperienced with a mid-iron and draining a putt from roughly 20 toes every time — earlier than ending his spherical with consecutive pars.
The opposite gamers to make 5 eagles in a four-round match since 1983 have been Justin Rose within the 2022 Canadian Open, Dustin Johnson within the 2020 FedEx St. Jude Championship, Austin Prepare dinner within the 2019 Barbasol Championship, Keegan Bradley and Brandt Snedeker within the 2018 Canadian Open, and Davis Love III within the 1994 Sony Open. Solely Johnson received.
Rahm, the world’s fourth-ranked participant who received two weeks in the past at Kapalua, matched his rating from a day earlier at La Quinta.
“Feeling nice. Lot of confidence,” Rahm mentioned. “Having basically the toughest course two days in a row, however I am in a very good place. So hopefully I can maintain the great recreation going.”
5 gamers have been 5 pictures again of Thompson, together with 20-year-old Tom Kim, who had the low spherical of the day, a 10-under 62 on the Nicklaus Course, and Jason Day, who shot 64 on the Stadium Course. The others have been J.T. Poston, Sungjae Im and Tyler Duncan.
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Second-ranked Scottie Scheffler and sixth-ranked Xander Schauffele have been in a bunch of 5 at 11 beneath that additionally included Rose. No. 5 Patrick Cantlay was in a bunch of seven at 10 beneath whereas No. 7 Will Zalatoris was at 6 beneath.