First-round co-leader Jordan Spieth stumbled badly in the second round of the Sony Open in Hawaii on Friday, and he missed the cut at the Honolulu event.
He became just the second player in the past four years to fail to reach the weekend after holding a piece of the opening-round lead.
Chris Kirk, another of the first-round co-leaders, holds a one-shot lead at the tournament’s midpoint. Kirk shot a 5-under-par 65 in the second round at Waialae Country Club, leaving him at 11-under 129.
The third first-round co-leader, Taylor Montgomery, is tied for second with J.J. Spaun at 10 under. Montgomery carded a 66 on Friday, and Spaun moved up with a 64, though he bogeyed his final hole when he had a chance to match Kirk for the overnight advantage.
Spieth, who opened with a 64, produced a 75 in the second round. He had one bogey and one birdie through his first four holes on Friday, then was doomed by a stretch of four consecutive bogeys on either side of the turn.
Spieth added one more bogey at No. 15 and couldn’t make up any ground the rest of the way, finishing one stroke below the cut line. On the par-5 18th hole, he two-putted from 12 feet to finish with par when a birdie would have sent him to the weekend.
Kirk began with three consecutive birdies, then bogeyed the par-4 sixth hole before adding three more birdies on the back nine.
“I did not ease into it at all,” Kirk said. “Really nice putt I made on 1, and then couple pitching wedges on 2 and 3 that I hit pretty close.
“I was felt like off (to) the races, but then maybe, yeah, it can be hard to sustain that sometimes for 18 holes, that type of momentum. We’re all trying to birdie all 18 holes, but we never do it.”
Asked what he is looking for this weekend, Kirk said, “More of the same, really. I’ve felt good about the way my swing has been this week. I’ve driven the ball for the most part really well. Hit a lot of really quality irons shots and wedge shots. Didn’t quite make as many putts today as yesterday maybe, but I feel like I’m rolling the ball really nicely.
“I’m hitting my lines. My speed has been pretty good. Just more of the same recipe.”
Montgomery’s round include four birdies, one of them at No. 18, and two bogeys.
Montgomery credited his bunker play as a key to his round.
“I like the sand out here, I guess,” he said. “It was really good. … I had a few that the lies weren’t that great and still managed to hit them close and get them up and down.”
Spaun had seven birdies and 10 bogeys heading to his last hole of the day, the par-5 ninth. He knocked his drive into the water and eventually made a two-putt bogey that left him one stroke behind Kirk.
–Field Level Media