Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez produced a bogey-free round of 8-under-par 64 on Saturday to grab a share of the lead at the Boeing Classic in Snoqualmie, Wash.
Jimenez and Billy Andrade, who carded a 66, sit atop the leaderboard at 10-under 134 through two rounds. The PGA Tour Champions event concludes with the third round on Sunday.
Gene Sauers (second-round 64), Canada’s Stephen Ames (68) and South Korea’s K.J. Choi (69) are tied for third at 8 under.
Joe Durant put together the best round of the tournament, a 9-under 63, to jump into a tie for sixth place at 7 under. He is level with Australia’s David McKenzie (64), Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke (66) and Charles Schwab Cup leader Steven Alker of New Zealand (68).
Jimenez started on the back nine and made four birdies in a six-hole stretch. He improved on that on the front nine, where he recorded four birdies in a five-hole span.
“I played very solid today,” he said. “Happy with the round, 8 under par is a good round. …
“The condition of the golf course is superb, nice temperature, nice weather. You hit some good shots, put the balls where you need. The conditions are superb.”
Andrade was 4 under through the front nine, recorded his lone bogey at No. 10, then added three more birdies, including one at No. 18 to grab a piece of the lead.
“Putter has been pretty absent pretty much the whole year, so when … you start making a few (putts), all of a sudden it gets contagious a little bit,” Andrade said. “These greens are really hard. A lot of poa annua, bumpy, similar to what I grew up on in Rhode Island as a kid. You can hit some putts that don’t go in, you’re going to have some shorties that you might miss, but overall just thrilled to be in this situation.”
Andrade said of his looming showdown with Jimenez, “I’m really looking forward to (Sunday). Love Miguel, he’s a great player and … there’s such a great leaderboard so anybody could come out of nowhere. And I know that, so I have to go out (Sunday) and have a great round to have a chance to win this.”
Seattle native Fred Couples shared 16th place at 4 under after a 71. Defending champion Rod Pampling of Australia began the day tied for 24th and ended tied for 21st at 3 under following a 70.
–Field Level Media