Jason Day couldn’t dodge the raindrops, especially without his hat, but still increased his lead.
The 34-year-old Day, seeking his first victory since 2018, shot 3-under-par 67 in rainy conditions to take a three-stroke lead over Max Homa midway through the Wells Fargo Championship at TPC Potomac at Avenal Farm in Potomac, Md.
“It was tricky because it was raining from the time we started until we finished,” said Day, who has battled a back injury in recent years. “That means water gets between your golf ball and the club, and being right-handed makes some shots of my shots veer to the right.
“It’s nice to be able to get in at 10-under through two rounds, especially with what kind of weather we’ve got coming in on the weekend, but I’m looking forward to it. It’s nice to be back in the mix, nice to be leading. There are still two more days left, so I can’t get too far ahead of myself.
“There aren’t many times you see this hair, but hopefully this weather can kind of go away and we can have hats on for the weekend.”
Day, once the No. 1 player in the World Golf Rankings who has won 16 times in his pro career, followed his opening 63 by making three of his five birdies while finishing on front nine after making two bogeys on the front and recorded a 36-hole score of 10-under 130.
Homa, from Valencia and Cal, started at No. 10 where he sank a 13-foot eagle putt and added five birdies and two bogeys for a 66 while playing alongside Day, who took off his hat midway through the round because it was soaked.
“Jason and I have been talking about it for like two and a half hours, that we can’t wait for it to be done and kick our feet up,” said Homa, who claimed two of his three PGA Tour victories last year in the Genesis Invitational and the Fortinet Championship.
“Yesterday, I played a really great round of golf and messed it up with probably just one bad decision off the tee and then a few bad shots in a row. But I’ve played great. I’ve hit the ball really well, I’ve hit my driver well, I’ve hit my irons great, I’ve made a ton of putts the last 27 holes.
“We just played 18 full holes in the rain … and I’m just happy to be done.”
James Hahn of Alameda and Cal carded a bogey-free 68 and is four shots back in a tie for third with Kurt Kitayama of Chico and UNLV, who had eight birdies and five bogeys in a wild 67, Luke List, who sank a nine-foot eagle putt at No. 14 in a 66, and local favorite Denny McCarthy, who made his only bogey at No. 17 in a 69.
Keegan Bradley, the 2011 PGA champion, collected five of his seven birdies on the back nine in a 65 and is one more down in a tie for seventh with Chad Ramey, who holed his second shot from 115 yards on the sixth hole in a 66, and left-hander Brian Harman, who also finished at 66.
Tyrrell Hatton of England posted another 66 and is six strokes behind in a tie for 10th with Anirban Lahiri of India and Matt Fitzpatrick of England, who both wound up at 68, and Rory Sabbatini of Slovakia, who came in at 69.
Seventh-ranked Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, the defending champion, struggled to a 73 but made the cut on the number in a tie for 50th along with 15 other players.
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