Wyndham Clark and Beau Hossler combined for a bogey-free, 5-under-par 67 on Friday, and they hold a one-shot lead at the midway point of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
Clark and Hossler, who shared the lead after the first round, sit at 16-under 128 following a steady second round in alternate-shot play at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La.
Doc Redman and Sam Ryder carded a second-round 66, leaving them tied for second at 15 under with Keith Mitchell and South Korea’s Sungjae Im, who shot 67 on Friday.
The only team-based tournament on the PGA Tour schedule, the Zurich Classic uses a four-ball (best-ball) format in the first and third rounds, and foursomes (alternate shot) in the second and final rounds.
Defending champions Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay, who were tied for 56th after the opening round, jumped into a tie for fourth at 14 under thanks to a 63 on Friday, the best score of the day.
Also at 14 under are Matthew NeSmith and Taylor Moore (66 on Friday), Nick Hardy and Davis Riley (66), Chad Ramey and France’s Martin Trainer (67) and first-round co-leaders Sean O’Hair and Brandon Matthews (69).
Sweden’s Vincent Norman and Austria’s Matthias Schwab (67), Luke List and Sweden’s Henrik Norlander (69) and David Lipsky and England’s Aaron Rai (69) share ninth place at 13 under.
Clark and Hossler opened on the back nine, and they birdied two of their first four holes. The added three more birdies on the second nine.
“It was a fairly stress-free round,” Hossler said. “I think the only hole we had remotely any stress was probably 17, which I think every group on the course probably is going to have stress on that hole. With that said, I think we both performed really well.
“I would say it was a pretty equal effort, to be honest, and with the exception of the long putt on 4, I think we didn’t do anything crazy, but we also didn’t really make any mistakes. It was a really clean round.”
Clark said of the partnership, “We have a lot of fun together and our caddie relationships are really good. We’re just having fun, and wherever the chips lay at the end of the week, we’re going to accept it and have fun, so we’re enjoying it.”
Schauffele and Cantlay started their stellar round with birdies on Nos. 10 and 11, and they made the turn at 6-under 30 after making eagle on the par-5 18th hole. Cantlay hit a 305-yard drive, Schauffele followed with a 264-yard shot into the green and Cantlay sank a 15-foot putt.
“He didn’t need any help reading the putt,” Schauffele said of Cantlay’s final effort. “He just knocked it right in.”
Cantlay said of the secret to the team’s success, “I think it’s just Xander is really good, and I can play well, too, so when we get two guys together that are really good, and I think it helps that we’re friends, but when you get two world-class players playing together and we both have a day where we’re on like today, we can post a low one.”
Among the notable names missing the cut were Collin Morikawa and Max Homa (66-70, 8 under), Steve Stricker and Zach Johnson (66-71, 7 under) and John Daly and David Duval (75-83, 14 over).
–Field Level Media