Jake KNAPP was 11 worse shocks than his opening round on Cognant Classic, but still stood forward with a lead with a blow to Matthieu Pavon.
KNAPP set a course record in the champion course in Florida’s Palm Beach garden with a round 59 to become the 15th player to record a sub-60 round in PGA Tour’s history.
However, he went 10 holes without a bird in the second round of Friday and had a double noise when his shot found the water. One of his best shots hit a spraying lid and jumped 40 yards away.
“I never had to follow a 59 on a tour earlier. It is all new to me,” Knapp said after one under 70 years old.
“Yesterday, everything was simply by clicking the smart ball, distance control was really well felt, it was able to control the flight and windows. All this was perfect.”
Pavon, the Frenchman who won at Torrey Pines last year, shot a 64 and briefly had the lead until he was closely lost a bird in his last hole to finish one back.
Daniel Berger, who grew up near PGA National, came out to 31 to separate the lead, but did not make another bird the rest of the road. He fell again with a bang in which he gouned a blow from fraud and weeds at No. 11 and did well to limit the damage.
Berger had a 68 and was in the 11th in general, along with Michael Kim (66), Doug Ghim (63) and Jesper Svenson (67), to reduce two strokes in the third.
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“I’ve just missed a small steam in nine rear,” Berger said. “I don’t know if I didn’t eat enough food and started feeling a little there. But hit a nine bad iron, I put it in danger, and I actually left with one just to make a noise there.”
Former Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson showed a enough game at the age of 49 to post a 66 and joined Rickie Fowler (68) and Taylor Montgomery in the seventh, three knapp leaders.
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A player who had reason to celebrate, along with the shedding of some tears, was the young man in Florida Luke Clanton.
Clanton easily cut with a five-nine-nine-year-old, giving him enough point for the 21-year-old to get a PGA Tour card after the NCAA championship in late May.
He already has two racing conclusions at PGA Tour and another 10th pair of Top, so he is accustomed to the big scene, and he has another opportunity this weekend.
Look Cogizant Classic all weekends live in Sky Sports Golf. Direct coverage continues on Saturday from 3pm. Get Sky Sports or Broadcasting Without Contract Now.
