Nassau (Bahamas), Dec 4 (Golf news) American golfer Bryson DeChambeau fired a sensational 8-under 64 in the second round to take a one-shot lead at the star-studded Hero World Challenge here.
DeChambeau, who scored a 69 on the opening day, moved up 10 places to be 11-under 133 after 36 holes.
Making the first start in an individual event since the TOUR Championship in September, DeChambeau had 10 birdies and the only blip on his card was the double boggie at 16th.
The world No.7 opened with a birdie and then added back-to-back birdies at the sixth and seventh holes. DeChambeau then had runs of three birdies in a row twice, starting at the ninth and again on the 13th.
One shot behind DeChambeau at tied-2nd was the trio of tournament favourite Collin Morikawa, world No 14. Tony Finau and four-time major winner Brooks Kopeka on 134.
Morikawa, who got engaged on Tuesday and will displace Spaniard Jon Rahm as the No. 1 golfer should he win this tournament, had an "up and down" round with six birdies, an eagle and two boggies.
Talking about his performance Morikawa said, "You know, when I put myself in the fairway, I was converting, I was making the birdies when I needed to." "Still felt like the driver's a little off, but that's just something, you know, get a little timing a little bit better tomorrow and the next day and we'll be just fine.
"It was kind of like an up-and-down day, hit some really good shots in that middle back end of the round where I went birdie-birdie-eagle and just got to use that momentum for tomorrow," he added.
Koepka, the world No 16, birdied the third, fourth and seventh before registering a bogey at the eighth. He began the back nine with a birdie and added a couple of more at 14th and 15th on his way to his second consecutive 67.
Asked what he is happiest with in the week so far, Koepka said, "That's a good one because everything's been pretty poor." "It's one thing to try it out on like a 12-hole exhibition, but when you come out here under the gun and really try to shape shots and a little more serious, seeing the ball react the way I want it to, seeing the wedges, the driver.
"I've been so pleased with it and very happy. It's going to be an easy transition, I think. I told some of the guys, it was just all me, I was swinging it poorly, so it's tough to blame it on anything else.
"But now that I've got my swing under somewhat control — it's not 100 percent but it's really, really close — we're figuring it out and I'm just happy with everything right now," he concluded.
Overnight co-leaders Daniel Berger (5th), Rory McIlroy (Tied-8th) and Abraham Ancer (Tied-11th), after matching 66s in the first round, slipped in the leader board after an underwhelming day two at the Albany Golf Club here.
Four-time major winner McIlroy, another favourite heading into the tournament, carded a 71 on the back of six birdies, three boggies and double boggie on 14th.
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News Source : PTI
