(Photo credit score: Steve Roberts)
Keith Mitchell collected eight birdies on Friday and joined Jacob Bridgeman atop the leaderboard on the Baycurrent Classic in Yokohoma, Japan.
Mitchell’s 6-under spherical of 65 at Yokohama Country Club included a pair of bogeys and moved him to 11-under with Bridgeman, whose second-round 68 included 4 birdies and one bogey.
The co-leaders are two strokes forward of Ben Kohles (62 on Friday), Zach Bauchou (64), Max Homa (68) and Mac Meissner (68) at 9-under. Kohles posted the low spherical of the match to this point with seven birdies and an eagle on the par-5 sixth gap.
Three gamers enter the weekend three photographs off the lead, with Justin Thomas and Germany’s Stephan Jaeger each carding a 65 on Friday and Australia’s Min Woo Lee delivering his second straight spherical of 67.
Mitchell enjoys enjoying in entrance of the enthusiastic gallery on the PGA Tour’s lone cease in Asia.
‘I find it irresistible over right here. It’s all the time on my schedule,’ he mentioned. ‘I like Japan. I believe simply the vitality right here simply helps me play slightly bit higher for some cause.’
Bridgeman, the first-round chief, was not as sharp after an opening-round 63.
‘I did not fairly have the identical sport I had yesterday at this time so it was slightly bit harder to make as many birdies, however I believe I sort of realized that early and was in a position to play sort of conservative and plot my manner across the course,’ he mentioned. ‘Navigated it fairly good, was in a position to publish a very good quantity.’
Homa strung collectively 5 consecutive birdies on holes Nos. 2-6 however a double bogey on the par-14 14th gap saved him two photographs behind the leaders as he seeks his first PGA Tour win since 2023.
‘The par I made on 15 was nice. I used to be slightly bit rattled coming off 14,’ Homa mentioned. ‘I hit a horrible tee shot on a reasonably straightforward gap, hit what I believed was an excellent second shot, acquired the flyer flawed and simply once more did not panic, hit a very good chip up there, made a 10-, 12-footer. Just little issues like that, that one caught out.’
Defending champion Xander Schauffele leads a bunch of eight gamers tied for thirtieth at 3-under after capturing 69 in a roller-coaster spherical with 5 birdies and three bogeys.
Top Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama is in the identical group as Schauffele following a 1-over 72 that included 4 bogeys.
Seventy-two gamers are competing within the no-cut match with a prize pool of $8 million, with the winner taking residence $1.44 million.
–Field Level Media