FORT WORTH, Texas — Ben Griffin might be on the verge of a breakthrough season on the PGA Tour. It is extra like a attainable comeback for Rickie Fowler.
Griffin shot a 7-under 63 within the Charles Schwab Problem at Colonial on Friday and was tied with Matti Schmid for the second-round lead at 11 beneath, two strokes forward of first-round chief John Pak and 5 forward of Fowler, who made the flip in 29 earlier than settling for a 64.
Pak, the tour rookie who opened with a 63, birdied the par-4 18th for a 68 and was a shot forward of Chris Gotterup, a one-time tour winner like Griffin. Gotterup was 8 beneath after a 65. Ryo Hisatsune, a 22-year-old from Japan, was one other stroke again after a 67, tied with Akshay Bhatia (66).
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Scottie Scheffler, who received the PGA Championship final weekend, shot 71 and was 10 photographs off the lead because the world No. 1 tries to turn out to be the primary participant since Dustin Johnson in 2017 to win three consecutive begins.
Scheffler’s run began with a runaway three weeks in the past, an eight-shot victory on the first of his two hometown occasions, the CJ Cup Byron Nelson north of Dallas.
It was shut, however Scheffler made the minimize with a shot to spare, which prolonged his streak to 55, second to Xander Schauffele’s 64.
Each of Scheffler’s enjoying companions missed the minimize, together with Davis Riley. The defending champion shot 69 whereas Daniel Berger, one of many eight top-25 gamers within the subject, made an 83-foot putt from simply off the inexperienced for birdie on the par-3 fourth gap in a spherical of 70. Each had been at 2-over 142.
A month faraway from teaming with Andrew Novak to win the Zurich Basic of New Orleans, Griffin made eight birdies — seven from inside 10 ft — and saved par with a 12-foot putt from the perimeter after his solely bogey.
The 29-year-old has already matched his profession greatest of 5 top-10 finishes from final yr, together with a tie for fifth on the PGA.
“I really feel like I’ve type of made good steps the final couple of years simply type of constructing to get to that first win,” Griffin mentioned. “Now that I’ve obtained that first win, I really feel prefer it’s actually liberating me as much as come out and be not essentially extra aggressive, however simply really feel extra aggressive, really feel like I am attempting to win extra. It is positively been a breakthrough yr, however I feel there’s extra to return.”
Fowler has dropped to 127th on the earth after being within the high 25 as lately as early 2024. The six-time winner was stable within the $20 million signature Truist Championship two weeks in the past however missed the minimize on the PGA.
The 36-year-old adopted a gap 70 with six birdies earlier than ending even over his ultimate 9 holes.
“It is positively coming round,” mentioned Fowler, who has only one victory since 2019, the Rocket Mortgage Basic two years in the past. “I do know it has been sluggish final yr and sluggish begin to the yr. Physique is beginning to really feel higher, and the sport [has] been in a great place and never very far off. It is a tremendous line out right here. Good to see issues beginning to come collectively a bit.”
Schmid, a 27-year-old German searching for his first tour victory in his 79th begin, has been bogey-free with 10 birdies over 24 holes since a double bogey on the par-4 twelfth within the opening spherical.
Gotterup, who received the 2024 Myrtle Seaside Basic and is in place to qualify for the $20 million signature occasion on the Memorial subsequent week, had a bogey-free spherical. He lives inside driving distance of Colonial, often known as Hogan’s Alley, after ending his faculty profession at Oklahoma.
Gotterup took per week off at house in the course of the PGA after enjoying 4 consecutive weeks and ending within the high 20 every time.
“I’d like to play the PGA, however I used to be at house on the sofa watching sports activities and hanging out at house,” the 25-year-old mentioned. “So it was good to be house, and I drove down from house this week, so it makes it even nicer to have your personal automobile and every part. I like that.”
After his first bogey of the week on the par-4 seventh, Pak obtained to 10 beneath with birdies on three of the following 4 holes. Consecutive bogeys dropped him right into a tie with Gotterup earlier than Pak made a 13-footer on 18.
Jordan Spieth, Scheffler’s fellow hometown headliner and former Texas Longhorn, birdied the seventeenth and made the minimize on the quantity at even par. Two holes earlier, the three-time main winner let a membership fly out of his palms in disgust on an method shot that was quick and proper, then coated his face together with his palms when his par putt lipped out.
