Advertisement

Golf roundup: Jason Kokrak has record lead at Byron Nelson, but Jordan Spieth misses cut

Share

Jason Kokrak shot a bogey-free eight-under-par 62 on Friday for a record five-stroke lead after two rounds at the AT&T Byron Nelson in Irving, Texas, where local favorite Jordan Spieth missed the cut for the first time at the tournament where he made his debut as a 16-year-old high school junior.

Kokrak, the 128th-ranked player in the world, matched the Nelson’s 36-hole record at 12 under after his career-best scoring round, and no one has ever had a bigger lead there after two rounds.

Billy Horschel was second at seven under after three consecutive birdies to finish a 65. Dustin Johnson, the world’s No. 1 player, had his second consecutive 67 and was among six players tied for third.

Advertisement

Spieth closed with a 75, including a nine on the par-five 16th after hitting two tee balls out of bounds. With a 3-over total and needing at least one birdie, Spieth finished with consecutive pars. His 17-foot birdie try at No. 17 curled by the cup, and he missed a 14-footer on 18.

The 23-year-old Spieth also missed the cut last week in The Players Championship. He last missed consecutive cuts in 2015.

Kokrak finished with a nice par save after driving way right. The ball landed in the rough closer to the first fairway with a temporary concession stand between him and the hole. He managed to hit the ball back in the fairway short of the green, then chipped to 6 feet.

Kokrak had the 36-hole lead for only the second time in 146 career PGA Tour starts. The other was the 2016 Northern Trust Open, where he ended up with a career-best tie for second.

“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.”

Byeong Hun An had a bogey-free 66 to get into the tie for third with Johnson, Bud Cauley (67), Cameron Tringale (68), Jhonattan Vegas (68) and first-round co-leader James Hahn (70). They were one stroke better than a group that included Grayson Murray, who had never seen the TPC Four Seasons course before this week but hit 16 of 18 greens in a 65 on Friday.

Advertisement

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 two under. He opened with a 73.

Spieth, the 2015 Masters and U.S. Open champion, first played a PGA Tour event at age 16 on a sponsor’s exemption in the 2010 tournament, and tied for 16th — still his best Nelson finish. He missed his high school graduation ceremony in 2011 to play after making the cut again.

After an opening birdie Friday, Spieth missed a 3 1/2-foot par putt at the par-three second hole. He had five bogeys and four birdies, plus saved par from a drop at the edge of a curb after his tee shot at the 316-yard 11th hole rolled to a stop on a neighborhood street, before the horrendous 16th hole.

Thompson opens three-stroke lead

Lexi Thompson shot her second consecutive six-under 65 on Friday to take a three-stroke over playing partner Gerina Piller into the weekend at the Kingsmill Championship in Williamsburg, Va.

Thompson is playing her third tournament since losing the ANA Inspiration in a playoff after being penalized four strokes for a rules violation that a TV viewer spotted.

Advertisement

The long-hitting Florida player had six birdies in a bogey-free round on Kingsmill’s River Course. She waited out an hour rain delay in the middle of the round. Piller shot a 67, closing birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey. She’s winless on the LPGA Tour.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko was four strokes back at eight under after a bogey-free 67. Trying to hold off So Yeon Ryu and Ariya Jutanugarn for the No. 1 spot, Ko is winless since July. Ryu, the ANA winner, was at five under after a 67. Jutanugarn, defending the first of her five tour victories last year, was at three under after a 67 playing alongside Thompson and Piller.

Candie Kung joined Ko at eight under. Kung eagled the par-four sixth during a round of 66. In Gee Chun (66) and Vicky Hurst (67) were at seven under, and Angela Stanford (66), Shanshan Feng (67) and Brittany Lincicome (70) were another stroke back.

Funk takes lead at Regions Tradition

Fred Funk shot a seven-under 65 to take the second-round lead in the Regions Tradition at Birmingham, Ala.

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 50-and-over circuit’s five majors.

Advertisement

Funk had three birdies on par-three holes, including No. 17 to move ahead at 12-under 132.

Parel, who went through Q-school in 2016, shot a 66. He made a long putt to save par on No. 18, extending his bogey-free streak to 32 holes.

Scott McCarron, part of a four-way tie for the first-round lead, was three shots back after a 70.

The third round Saturday will have a two-tee start because of expected bad weather.

Advertisement