Jimmy Walker shot a 5-under-par 67 on Friday in the Texas Open to take a one-stroke lead in his hometown event.
After a 35-minute drive from his suburban home, Walker enjoyed a neighborly stroll at TPC San Antonio to reach 6-under 138.
Walker overtook first-round leader Charley Hoffman, who is tied for second with Aaron Baddeley, with three straight birdies late in his round.
Hoffman, 8 under at the turn, uncharacteristically let a good round get away on the Oaks Course with three bogeys on his second nine. He finished with a 72 to tie for second with Aaron Baddeley.
Hoffman has two top-three finishes in his previous four appearances at the Texas Open.
Advertisement
Baddeley had a 71.
Kevin Na, who infamously took 16 strokes on a par 4 in the event four years ago, had a 68 to join Texan Jordan Spieth at 4 under. The 21-year Spieth, coming off a playoff victory two weeks ago at Innisbrook, followed his opening 71 with a 69.
The gusts near 40 mph that blew Thursday morning continued to subside, though play started Friday with temperatures in the 40s.
The improved conditions packed the leaderboard with nine players within four strokes of Walker. That included Phil Mickelson, continuing to cram for the Masters less than two weeks off, at 2 under after a second-round 72. He was tied for sixth.
FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel (70), Zach Johnson (71), Chris Kirk (71) and 2011 winner Brendan Steele (68) also were 2 under.
Johnson felt a jarring sensation in his right ring finger when he hit a rock while swinging from the native area to the right of the 12th fairway. He continued and expects to play this weekend.
Francisco Molinari, the former European Ryder Cup player, withdrew before the round because of a wrist injury he said happened while shooting 81 in the wind Thursday.
Advertisement
Jim Furyk and Dustin Johnson managed to survive for the weekend as the cut dropped a stroke in the afternoon to 6 over. Both made it on the number, and Furyk kept a streak of consecutive cuts made, now at 33. Steve Stricker, not playing this week, has the best active streak at 35.
Martin Kaymer wasn’t close. After shooting his PGA Tour-worst 82 on Thursday, he had an 80 on Friday. The U.S. Open champion told officials in Houston he has changed his plans not to play next week and has committed to the Shell Houston Open to get ready for the Masters.
LPGA — Morgan Pressel matched the course record with an 8-under 64 in Carlsbad, Calif., for a share of the second-round lead in the Kia Classic with Mirim Lee (69).
Pressel had eight birdies in her bogey-free morning round at Aviara to match Lee at 10-under 134. The American won the last of her two LPGA Tour titles in 2008.
Lee, the first-round leader after a 65, had a 69. The 24-year-old South Korean player won LPGA Tour events last year in Michigan and China.
Top-ranked Lydia Ko was tied for ninth at 7 under after a 70, her 26th straight LPGA Tour round under par — three short of Annika Sorenstam’s record set in 2004 — and 29th worldwide.
Pressel matched the course record set last year by Dori Carter.
Champions — Colin Montgomerie and Joe Durant shared the lead at 5-under 67 after the first round of the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic in Saucier.
Advertisement
Montgomerie finished with a birdie on the par-4 ninth hole at Fallen Oak. Durant also closed with a birdie on No. 9.
European
— Oliver Farr missed the chance to take the outright lead at the Trophee Hassan II in Agadir, Morocco, after a bogey on the last hole, and was in a four-way tie after a 4-under 68 with Richie Ramsay, Rafa Cabrera-Bello, and Richard Green at 6-under 138.
Gene Sauers, Kevin Sutherland, David Frost, Woody Austin and Brad Faxon shot 68.
Fred Couples, the 2012 champion, had a 71.
Miguel Angel Jimenez closed with a double bogey for a 76. The Spaniard won the season-opening event in Hawaii in January for his second victory in three career Champions Tour starts.