Hovland tops star-studded leaderboard at Torrey Pines after Round 2
Viktor Hovland posted a brilliant 7-under 65 in Round 2 on the South Course at Torrey Pines to hold a one-shot edge over a star-studded leaderboard at the Farmers Insurance Open.
The 23-year-old Norwegian's eight-birdie performance Friday came in difficult weather conditions, which saw the scoring average on the South Course rise to nearly 75. His 9.76 strokes gained: total is the third-best score on the South Course out of more than 5,400 rounds since tracking began in 2004, according to the 15th Club's Justin Ray.
Hovland sits at 9-under for the tournament, one ahead of a group of six players that includes world No. 2 Jon Rahm, Adam Scott, Tony Finau, and Patrick Reed.
Rahm and Finau shot a 5-under on the North Course while Scott and Reed carded a 69 and 72 on the South Course, respectively.
Here's how the top of the leaderboard looks following Round 2:
Place | Player | To Par | R2 Score |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Viktor Hovland (SC) | -9 | 65 |
T2 | Jon Rahm (NC) | -8 | 67 |
T2 | Adam Scott (SC) | -8 | 69 |
T2 | Tony Finau (NC) | -8 | 67 |
T2 | Lanto Griffin (SC) | -8 | 70 |
T2 | Ryan Palmer (NC) | -8 | 70 |
T2 | Patrick Reed (SC) | -8 | 72 |
Rory McIlroy only managed to put together a 71 while playing the easier North Course. He sits in a tie for 14th, four shots behind Hovland.
The 50-year-old Phil Mickelson birdied his final two holes to shoot even par and make the cut right on the 1-under number.
The wildest round of the day goes to Will Zalatoris, who hit only one fairway on the South Course but still managed to break par with a 71.
This is the first time since 1983 (when the TOUR started keeping hole-by-hole stats) that a player broke par on the South Course while hitting 1 or fewer fairways.
— Sean Martin (@PGATOURSMartin) January 29, 2021
Notables Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, and Brooks Koepka all missed the cut. Spieth played his back nine at 3-over to miss the weekend by one shot.
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