FORT WORTH, Texas — JJ Spawn is pondering a bit about his schedule and loads about his placing whereas competing within the Charles Schwab Problem at Colonial.
The reigning US Open champion believes each circumstances shall be excellent three weeks earlier than he makes an attempt to defend his first main title.
Spaun made a breakthrough with 4 birdies on the entrance 9, however hit a couple of bogeys within the second half to complete with a 2-under 68. He was 8 below on Friday, and after 36 holes at Colonial, he was two strokes behind Briton Jordan Smith and one stroke behind three gamers together with Hideki Matsuyama.
Smith took the only lead with a 31-foot birdie putt on the par-3 sixteenth, then saved par from a bunker on the seventeenth and missed a 9-foot birdie on the 18th to complete 10 below with a 65 for the second yr in a row.
“It should be a brand new expertise to be within the lead for the primary time right here,” stated Smith, a 33-year-old PGA Tour rookie who certified on the DP World Tour and had a greatest end of third on the Valpar Championship. “We’re not going to drive something, we’re not going to hurry something, we’re simply going to get pleasure from seeing what occurs.”
Matsuyama and Michael Thorbjornsen, who additionally has 10 tour wins and is the 2021 Masters champion, had been neck-and-neck within the 65-second vary. Ryan Gerrard (67) is tied at 9 below with 2023 British Open champion Brian Harman (66).
Spawn was joined by Akshay Bhatia (65), Russell Henry (66), Bryce Garnett (66) and Alex Smalley (67).
AJ Ewart had his second hole-in-one in two days on the 195-yard par-3 sixteenth, and Brandt Snedeker had an ace within the opening spherical, following up a gap 70 with a career-best 63, the low spherical of the day. He was 7 below, tied with Michael Brennan (66) and Mackenzie Hughes (67).
2019 U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland was amongst 11 gamers at 6 below at Hogan’s Alley, however on account of mild winds and comfortable circumstances, he posted a subpar rating of 154 via two rounds. This tied the very best since 2010, when Zach Johnson set a 72-hole rating report of 21-under 259.
Temperatures are anticipated to achieve the mid-90s and the warmth index close to 100, and stay that manner via the weekend. There’s little probability of rain.
“It is beginning to dry out, in all probability the identical manner it dried out a bit bit yesterday afternoon,” Herman stated. “The fairways are going to get firmer, these fairways are going to be tougher to hit, and that is how this place protects itself.”
Defending champion Ben Griffin shot a 68 for the second yr in a row and is tied with Justin Thomas at 4 below par, one stroke above the lower line.
Spawn was considered one of six gamers tied for the lead with a gap 64, however missed out on six of the primary 13 tournaments of the yr, together with the Masters and the PGA Championship. He stated he modified his putter as a result of he lacked confidence on the greens.
Spaun, the highest-ranked participant on the sphere at No. 9, continued his sturdy entrance 9 with a 15-foot par putt on the seventeenth and was bogey-free within the match, lacking two par putts from exterior 15 ft on the seventh and eighth holes.
“I am glad that switching putters turned out to be an excellent change,” Spaun stated. “After I was out on the course, I generally felt dangerous about my putter. That was the one challenge I had all yr. My ball placing was fairly constant. I might argue there have been weeks the place my putts had been barely higher than common.”
Spawn’s different two wins, together with one final month, each got here on the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio. He believes Sunday’s 27 holes, performed in a rain-altered occasion, might have contributed to his 74-75 win on the Masters, and his 70-76 mark throughout his third straight week of play on the PGA.
After competing on the Memorial subsequent week, Spaun will skip the Canadian Open and head to Shinnecock Hills.
“It is good to have every week off and get to Shinnecook and really feel a bit contemporary, however it’s not like I’ve had an excessive amount of of a break,” stated Spaun, who missed Colonial’s neighboring occasion, the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, final week.
Smith made 181-foot putts, together with a 40-foot putt from the perimeter on the par-4 twelfth gap. His lengthy putt on the sixteenth got here two holes after his solely bogey of the match on the par-4 14th.
“My putter has been sizzling the final two days, in order that’s good,” Smith stated. “My swing does not really feel one hundred pc but, however I am hitting a variety of fairways and a variety of greens, and that is the important thing right here.”
