Steven Bowditch of Australia shot 5-under-par 67 in the second round of the Valero Texas Open to take a one-shot lead over Chad Collins and Andrew Loupe, as Phil Mickelson continued to struggle but barely made the cut at TPC San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas.
Bowditch, who has five professional victories but none on the PGA Tour, carded five birdies and an eagle while playing flawlessly until the needed four shots to reach the green and took a double-bogey 6 on his final hole, No. 9.
“It’s a 72-hole tournament and I just did it on the 36th hole, made a double-bogey,” said Bowditch, who holed his 83-yard approach shot with a wedge on the 12th hole for his eagle. “It’s going to happen out here.
“I’m not making many putts at the moment, so most of my birdies have been sort of coming inside of six or five feet. I’ve hit a lot of good wedge shots. I made a couple good par saves on my back nine this afternoon, but all in all it’s been more of hitting my approach shots pretty close.”
Loupe, who came back in the morning after the first round was halted by darkness and finished off a 67 that gave him a one-stroke lead after 18 holes, followed with a 70 that included birdies on his last three holes.
Collins, who has won twice on what is now the Web.com Tour but is winless on the PGA Tour, had seven birdies while posting a 66, low round of the day.
Pat Perez of San Diego and Arizona State followed his opening 68 with a 71 and was three strokes back in a tie for fourth with Cameron Beckman, who birdied three of the last four holes to card a 70.
Mickelson, who does not have a top-10 finish on the PGA Tour this season, seemed to be on his way to missing the weekend after opening with a 77 but holed a five-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to close out a 70 and make the cut on the number in a tie for 69th. He set up his birdie on the last hole with a shot from the edge of the creek that guards the green, with one foot in the water after removing his left shoe and sock, in addition to rolling up his pants leg.
