Taylor Pendrith delivered a seven-under 65 and take a one-shot lead over Tony Finau at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit; Englishman Matt Wallace slipped back having started the second round just two shots behind the leaders; Watch live on Sky Sports Golf from 8pm
Saturday 30 July 2022 08:18, UK
Canadian Taylor Pendrith birdied the first four holes on Friday to deliver a seven-under 65 and take a one-shot lead over Tony Finau at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit.
Pendrith and Finau had led the field after the first round, having produced rounds of 64 which were just one shot shy of tying the course record.
In the second round, Pendrith's 65 just eclipsed Finau's 66 to ensure the Canadian held a slender outright lead at the halfway point.
Englishman Matt Wallace, who had been just sat two shots behind Pendrith and Finau after the first round, wasn't able to replicate his form and instead shot 71 during his second round.
Lee Hodges added a second successive 66 to his card to sit 12-under and hold third place after two rounds. Americans Cameron Young (63), Russell Henley (65) and Stewart Cink (66) finished together at 10-under tied for fourth.
Pendrith is ranked No 237 in the Official World Golf Ranking and is looking for his first win on tour. He is also playing his third event since a four-month break caused by a fractured rib.
He scored eight birdies, including a two-foot tap-in at the second after an accurate approach, while making just one bogey.
A native of nearby Ontario, Pendrith felt like playing in Detroit was a home game.
"It's close to home... lots of 'Go Canada' cheers out there, people were singing the national anthem, so it's pretty cool," Pendrith said. "I feel very welcomed here and I love the golf course, so I'm looking forward to the weekend."
Finau won last week's PGA Tour stop, the 3M Open, and kept the momentum going in Detroit. His bogey-free 66 featured six birdies, five coming on the back nine to surge into second.
"I've been working extremely hard on my game all year and I think I'm just bearing the fruit of the labour I've had throughout this season and it's coming together for me late in the season," Finau said.
Hodges played with Pendrith for the first two rounds and, in fact, matched Pendrith birdie for birdie over the first four holes on Friday. Hodges' 66 kept him within striking distance for the weekend.
Young's 63 was the lowest round of the tournament so far. Starting on the back nine, he got an early jolt by holing out from the 13th fairway for an eagle two.
"We had 136 (yards) and I said I was going to hit it about four steps long and a few steps left," Young said. "So, I missed it just short right and it happened to fly directly in the hole."
Young, who placed second at The Open Championship earlier this month, added seven birdies on Friday without a bogey.
Patrick Cantlay, the highest-ranked player in the field, shot a 65 to get into a tie for seventh at nine-under with Scott Stallings (65), Sahith Theegala (67), Australia's Adam Scott (66), Germany's Stephan Jaeger (68) and South Korea's Si Woo Kim (68).
Those who fell short of the three-under cut line included Gary Woodland, Harris English, Kevin Kisner and Rickie Fowler.
Get the best prices and book a round at one of 1,700 courses across the UK & Ireland
