Sunday 9 July 2017 00:15, UK
Sebastian Munoz opened up a three-shot advantage at the halfway stage of the Greenbrier Classic as veteran Davis Love III remained in contention in West Virginia.
Munoz surpassed Love as clubhouse leader after a late barrage of birdies on the opening day saw him fire a sparkling nine-under 61, and he added a resolute 67 on day two over the Old White TPC at Sulphur Springs despite faltering over the second half of his round.
The Columbian, who is languishing at 198th in the FedExCup standings after posting just one top-30 finish in his 11 starts this season, began with a birdie at the 10th and rolled in a superb 30-foot putt for another at the long 12th.
Further birdie putts dropped from outside 20 feet at the 13th and 16th as Munoz raced clear of the chasing pack on 13 under, although he then found the going tougher on the front nine as he three-putted the third green before a poor drive at the sixth cost him another shot.
But Munoz bounced back with a birdie-three at the next after clipping a superb approach to 12 feet from a fairway bunker, and he scrambled a battling par at his final hole to remain three clear of the field on 12 under par.
Hudson Swafford birdied two of the last three holes to return a flawless 66 and earn a share of second with fellow American Ben Martin (67), while Love is a further stroke adrift after an erratic 69.
Last year's winning Ryder Cup captain, now 53, bogeyed the 11th - his second - before reeling off three straight birdies only to make further mistakes at 15 and 17, where he three-putted from 40 feet, although he atoned immediately by holing from similar range for a bonus birdie at the 18th.
Love came within a whisker of holing his 170-yard approach to the second, and he set up another tap-in birdie with a sublime second to the fourth before he lost ground on Munoz when he needed three putts to get down at the eighth.
The former PGA champion closed on eight under alongside Danny Lee and Shell Houston Open champion Russell Henley, who carded seven birdies in an excellent 64 which matched Jamie Lovemark and Nick Watney for the low round of the day.
Ryder Cup star Patrick Reed was flirting with the cut when he slipped to three over for the day with seven holes to play and appeared to be struggling with a back issue, but he got back on track with four birdies in five holes to salvage a 69.
Reed is seven off the lead and one ahead of two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, who showed glimpses of his best after a torrid season so far as he carded a five-birdie 67.
Phil Mickelson's much-publicised first tournament with his brother on his bag almost ended in an early exit as he mixed three birdies with five bogeys to hand in a 72, but that proved enough to scrape into the weekend with nothing to spare.
