HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Justin Thomas made a pair of birdies on the crusty, breezy again 9 at Harbour City to salvage a 2-under 69 for a two-shot lead Friday on the RBC Heritage, his first 36-hole lead in additional than 4 years.
Thomas is winless because the 2022 PGA Championship and is cautious of the subject. He additionally is aware of there is a lengthy method to go on a course that calls for precision whereas permitting a low rating.
Si Woo Kim had a kind of low scores, a blistering begin that had him at 8-under by means of 12 holes till he settled for a 64. He was two photographs behind, together with Russell Henley (68).
Six gamers have been inside 4 photographs of the lead, a bunch that features defending champion Scottie Scheffler, who did not have a lot go proper in his spherical of 70. On the scoring pins, he was out of place. He was within the fairway for the tucked pins. There wasn’t as many birdie alternatives, however he is nonetheless proper within the combine.
Andrew Novak (65) and Tommy Fleetwood (66) have been three behind.
It was shaping as much as be a wide-open weekend at a match the place nobody appears to emphasize an excessive amount of coming per week after the Masters. Not everybody, in fact. The thriller Friday have been the 4 golf grips — the shaft snapped in half — exterior the scoring trailer.
Thomas was in a much better temper, particularly the top of the spherical. A kind of robust pins was on the thirteenth, simply to the precise of steep bunker framed by railroad ties. He performed wedge fantastically to the huge entrance of the inexperienced and holed a 15-foot putt.
Way more spectacular was the par-5 fifteenth, the place Thomas had 287 yards with one towering tree that at all times appears to get in the best way. He prefers to hit a 5-wood for just a little extra altitude. He hammered a 3-wood onto the inexperienced to arrange a two-putt birdie and completed with three pars.
The shot on No. 15 additionally illustrated the changes he is making with a fill-in caddie, Joe Greiner, as his common looper Matt Minister recovers from a again damage.
“He is nonetheless getting used to every thing as a lot as I’m,” Thomas stated. “We have been speaking concerning the shot and making an attempt to hit it proper on the inexperienced. The tree was form of in the best way. I used to be like, ‘I really feel prefer it’s a great 3-wood quantity.’ And he was like, ‘Yeah.’
“Then after I hit it, he goes, ‘I am so glad you stated that as a result of I believed it was an ideal lower 3-wood, however I did not need to say that.’ That is a number of the humorous changes and issues we’re working with.”
This does not really feel like a working trip for Kim as a result of he missed out on the Masters for the primary time since 2016, his rookie yr on the PGA Tour.
“I obtained a lot pissed off final week watching Masters, however one way or the other I obtained to maneuver on. So I am simply making an attempt to focus this week,” Kim stated.
He obtained everybody’s consideration together with his begin.
The signature second was his 3-wood from 275 yards that rolled out to five ft for eagle on the par-5 fifth gap. After which he ran off 4 straight birdies across the flip beginning on the brief par-4 ninth, three of the putts inside 8 ft, and a 15-footer on the eleventh.
He could not maintain the momentum however will get into the ultimate group with Thomas on the weekend.
Scheffler was slowed by a mud ball on the par-5 fifth that put him out of place and a three-putt that gave him a bogey. He additionally hit a tree on the eighth that led to a different bogey. He completed with 9 pars and just a little perspective.
“Simply little stuff like that that may flip your day the improper method,” he stated. “I fought fairly arduous at present and hung in there properly to be 4 again on the weekend.”
Scheffler’s season was delayed a month by his hand damage and he is nonetheless searching for his first win. Thomas final gained at Southern Hills within the 2022 PGA Championship, although his recreation has turned sufficient in the precise path that he’s No. 8 on the planet rating.
“Nearly all of it has simply been urgent and making an attempt too arduous,” he stated of his drought. “I virtually really feel like I am form of previous the purpose the place happily you all have stopped requested me — which is sweet — however I’d additionally choose to get that over with.
“One thing I really feel like I did so properly there for a few years is I simply let tournaments come to me and I simply trusted my means,” he stated. “That is actually been my key this week is I am simply making an attempt to essentially belief my recreation and decide to what I am doing.”
