SAN ANTONIO — Brian Harman discovered the vary along with his iron photographs and transformed eight birdie putts — none outdoors 12 ft — for a 6-under 66 on Friday that gave him a four-shot lead over Keith Mitchell on the Valero Texas Open.
Harman has his first 36-hole lead since Bay Hill a yr in the past, and that is the most important lead he is had on the halfway level since he led by 5 at Hoylake in 2023 when he gained the Open Championship.
“Simply know that I’ve finished it earlier than and that it’s potential,” Harman mentioned of his expertise with a giant lead. “You get on large leads generally – and I am positive Keith goes to make a couple of birdies coming in. Look, man, it is simply left foot, proper foot and simply take your time getting completed.”
Harman was at 12-under 132 on the TPC San Antonio.
Ludvig Åberg, at No. 5 the highest-ranked participant within the discipline, and defending champion Akshay Bhatia had been amongst these to overlook the reduce.
Mitchell, who wants a victory to get into the Masters subsequent week, had an up-and-down day that added to an even-par 72. He did make some birdies coming in, holing a pair of 12-foot putts, solely to take bogey from a bunker on the par-3 seventh gap and shut with two pars.
“I am nonetheless in there,” Mitchell mentioned. “I want I used to be nearer to Brian than I’m, however glad to make par on 9 so I might keep within the final group. … Fortunately, I performed nice yesterday and have two extra rounds.”
Ryo Hisatsune and Matt Wallace every shot 67, whereas Sam Ryder stumbled to a 74 — 11 photographs worse than his opening spherical to take the lead — whereas feeling some ache in his neck.
Ryder took only 21 putts in his opening round, when he tried to not do an excessive amount of with a neck harm that induced him to overlook the pro-am. The second spherical caught up with him, particularly ending late Thursday after which having an early tee time.
“I might sit right here and make excuses, however I simply did not play effectively,” Ryder mentioned. “It is undoubtedly my neck — again is type of bothering me a bit of bit — but it surely’s simply robust with the short turnaround. I feel. However I type of bought off to a foul begin and simply did not actually get in a superb rhythm.
“All in all, for those who instructed me I used to be going to be on this place going into Saturday, then I might have taken it on Thursday.”
Jordan Spieth was attempting to remain in vary of the leaders till he was fooled on a few late chips that led to bogeys on his remaining three holes. He wound up with a 73 and located himself eight photographs behind in his remaining begin earlier than the Masters.
Rickie Fowler saved his Masters hopes alive – he must win to get in — with a 65, although he additionally was eight photographs behind. His fast objective after opening with a 75 was to make it the reduce.
That was the objective of Tony Finau, who pulled it off in spectacular style. Finau was one shot beneath the reduce line when he made a hole-in-one on the sixteenth gap. He then completed with two simple pars to publish a 72 and make it with one shot to spare.
“I wanted one thing to go my means,” Finau mentioned. “I used to be leaking oil type of coming in and actually taking pictures myself within the foot on an opportunity to play the weekend. So it was an enormous shot on the proper second.”
