After a horrendous start at The Sentry, Cam Davis posted the best score of the day in the second round to work his way into the top 20 of the field.
Davis shot a nine-under 64 on Friday, nine shots better than Thursday, to join compatriot Adam Scott (69) at nine under par in the tournament midway through the PGA Tour season opener.
The 29-year-old from Sydney made nine birdies, including four in a row on numbers four to seven and the ninth. His only bogey on the 12th hole sandwiched consecutive birdies on Nos. 10 and 11, and 13 and 14. He also birdied the last one.
Scott began his round with back-to-back bogeys before making birdies at the fifth, sixth and ninth. He had four birdies on the back nine, with his only blemish coming on the 16th hole.
This is Scott’s 25th season on Tour, but clearly, his hunger has not diminished as he yearns to move up the rankings.
“I haven’t achieved all the goals I set for myself, so I don’t think it’s unrealistic, given the way I’ve played over the last six or eight months, to climb back to the top of the rankings.” “said Scott, former world number one.
“I think I can still get a couple of big wins here that I would like, and that’s really, I guess, what motivates me.”
The Australians are chasing leader Hideki Matsuyama, who shot an eight-under 65 for the second day in a row to maintain a one-stroke lead over Collin Morikawa (65).
“It seems like Hideki is trying to birdie every hole,” said first-round leader Tom Hoge (68). “So it was good to keep up with him a little bit.”
Matsuyama is 16 under par for the tournament.
Morikawa had a chance to tie after making five consecutive birdies near the end of his round before settling for par on the 18th hole.
“I just hit some quality shots and gave myself a number of opportunities to make birdies,” Morikawa said. “I felt like on the back nine I had birdie looks. Obviously, I made a few, but it was nice to see a couple fall.”
Maverick McNealy (64) moved up to 14 under par to join Canada’s Corey Conners (66), Belgian Thomas Detry (65) and Hoge (68) in a tie for third place. Detry’s highlights included hitting the green on the par-four 14th hole with his drive and making a 12-foot eagle putt.
Matsuyama had a bogey-free round, including birdies on two of the three par-three holes.
“I’m definitely happy with where I’m at,” Matsuyama said.
Among a group of golfers who enjoyed solid rounds on Friday were Keegan Bradley, who made a 29-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole, and Wyndham Clark. They both shot 64.
Bradley and Clark are at 13 under par in a four-way tie for seventh place with Cameron Younger (67) and England’s Harry Corridor (65).
Others with 64 on Friday were Peter Malnati (eight under), JT Poston (eight under) and Patrick Cantlay (eight under).
Former world number one Jason Day shot another 70 to be six under par in the tournament.
AAP/Reuters
