US rookies Kevin Velo and Isaiah Salinda grabbed a one-stroke lead after Friday’s alternate-shot second spherical of the PGA Zurich Basic whereas defending champions Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry charged into rivalry.
Velo and Salinda, every searching for his first PGA Tour title, mixed to fireplace a three-under par 69 to face on 17-under 127 after 36 holes within the pairs occasion at TPC of Louisiana in Avondale, Louisiana.
“General actually stable. We performed actually to our strengths at present,” Velo mentioned. “We performed fairly flawless. We feed off one another actually simply.”
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People Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak, additionally chasing their first PGA wins, mixed for a 66 with birdies on three of their last 5 holes to face second on 128, one stroke forward of Danish twins Rasmus and Nicolai Hojgaard.
“We’re each in stable type proper now, feeding off one another,” mentioned Novak, who misplaced a playoff to Justin Thomas ultimately week’s Heritage occasion.
Again-nine starters Salinda and Velo, friends since their junior golf days, had been one-over by 9 holes however reeled off three birdies in a row to start out their second 9 and share the lead. Salinda’s birdie putt from simply inside 12 ft on the eighth put them alone on the prime.
“I like our possibilities in alternate shot versus anybody within the subject,” Salinda mentioned. “We simply hold taking part in how we’re taking part in, set ourselves up for Sunday and provides ourselves a shot.” McIlroy and Lowry had been six-under after 12 holes however stumbled with bogeys on three of the final six holes to shoot 69 and end on 11-under 133 getting into Saturday’s four-ball format third spherical and Sunday’s alternate-shot last spherical.
“We had been six-under by 12 and cruising after which a little bit of a foul end however I didn’t really feel like we performed that badly to have the end that we did,” McIlroy mentioned. “A few free photographs right here and there.
“Tomorrow it will likely be exhausting to remain affected person as a result of the four-ball format you simply need to attempt to make as many birdies as you possibly can.”
Northern Eire’s McIlroy, in his first occasion since successful the Masters two weeks in the past to finish a profession Grand Slam, and Irishman Lowry wish to develop into the occasion’s first back-to-back champions.
– ‘Disillusioned’ –
McIlroy, who has already received three titles this yr, sank an 11-foot eagle putt on the par-5 second however Lowry missed the inexperienced and a par putt to bogey the par-3 third.
McIlroy made a birdie putt from simply inside 15 ft on the fourth and Lowry pitched from the tough to simply inside 5 ft to arrange a McIlroy birdie putt on the par-5 seventh.
Lowry dropped his method inches from the outlet on the eighth to arrange a McIlroy tap-in birdie and landed his method on the tenth inside 4 ft to arrange one other McIlroy birdie putt.
At 12, McIlroy sank a 14-foot birdie putt to elevate the duo to 14-under and a share of second.
However at 13, McIlroy couldn’t attain the inexperienced from the tough and missed a 20-foot par putt.
Lowry missed the inexperienced on the par-3 seventeenth and so they wanted 4 photographs to succeed in the inexperienced in taking a bogey on the par-5 18th.
“We’re clearly disenchanted. I really feel like 11-under is the worst rating we might be for 2 days,” Lowry mentioned.