Amateur Patrick Cantlay fired an astonishing course record 60 to take the clubhouse lead at the weather-hit Travelers Championship.
Teenager breaks course record to lead by four at River Highlands
Amateur Patrick Cantlay fired an astonishing course record 60 to take the clubhouse lead at the weather-hit Travelers Championship.
With around half the field still to complete their rounds, the 19-year-old sits four shots clear of the chasing pack after a round highlighted by an eagle at the 13th.
A further eight birdies, including two at the closing holes, gave Cantlay a 10-under-par round that eclipsed the record at the River Highlands venue by one held by five others.
Cantlay, who had completed his rain-hit first round earlier in the day with a 67, sprung to prominence only last week when he finished in a tie for 21st at the US Open.
Staying amateur
But having just completed his first year at UCLA, he says he has no immediate plans to turn professional.
"I'm not thinking about that right now," he said. "I'm going to try and take care of business this week and then see what's going on.
"But I'm going to stay amateur definitely for the Walker Cup, and my plans are to stay amateur until I finish college."
Cantlay had the 59 in his sights but effectively it was never quite on.
"I hit it really good this afternoon," he added. "I hit a couple of bad drives but they didn't put me in any trouble.
"I didn't know that no amateur had ever shot a 60, so that wasn't really in my brain. I knew where I was and I knew I needed to make eagle on 18 for 59. But you know, it's tough to hole it from 152 (yards)."
Trahan 62
The American is currently four ahead of countrymen Vaughn Taylor - who played 36 holes in the day after Thursday's play was heavily shortened by rain - Webb Simpson and DJ Trahan, Brazilian Alexandre Rocha and Argentina's Andres Romero.
Trahan's 62 may have been eclipsed by Cantlay's efforts, but six birdies on the front nine remains a laudable effort and it did put the 30-year-old in the hunt for a first PGA Tour win since 2008.
Six more players followed him at eight under, including England's Brian Davis who had been one shot off the first-round lead after completing a 66 this morning.
First-round leader Jim Renner fell back to three under after a four-over-par second round of 74.
Phil Mickelson was the last amateur to win a PGA Tour event in 1991.
