Defending champion Xander Schauffele is atop the leaderboard again midway through the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
Schauffele, from La Jolla and San Diego State, sank a 7-foot birdie putt on the final hole to take a one-stroke leader over Patrick Reed and first-round leader Joaquin Niemann of Chile after two rounds on the renovated Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort https://golfatkapalua.com outside Lahaina, Maui.
“Any time things are different, it alters your confidence, but I have good memories here and it’s not too different,” said Scauffele, who shot 5-under-par 68 in windy and rainy conditions. “It was an interesting day, not so much about scoring but about staying warm and dry.
“I was frustrated early, but I got over it and made a few putts. My attitude wasn’t good early, but I mellowed out. I missed some putts early, but then I relaxed and let it pass, so I played better later in the day.”
The ninth-ranked Schauffle carded a bogey-free 5-under-par 68 with birdies on three of the last three holes after opening with a 69, and carded a 36-hole score of 9-under 137.
Reed, who was 3-over after seven holes in round one before salvaging a 72 with four birdies on the back nine, posted the low round of day two with a 66, while Niemann made two late birdies in a 72.
“I got control of the golf ball after getting off to a shaky start yesterday and was able to turn it around,” said Reed, the 2016 TOC champion who made his only bogey in round two after hitting his second shot into the weeds on No. 16, and collected eight birdies. “I was hitting a draw and getting into trouble, made a triple-bogey at No. 7 (in round one), but was able to switch to a fade and started playing the way I’m supposed to.
“I played so much better today, drove the ball well, hit a long of good iron shots and let the putter do the work. I’ve come a long way, because there was a time I would have continued to try to hit the draw.”
Rickie Fowler of Murrieta made three straight birdies through No. 16 in a 71 and is two shots back in solo third, while seventh-ranked Patrick Cantlay of Los Alamitos and UCLA also had a 71 and is three behind in a tie for fourth with fourth-ranked Justin Thomas, the 2017 TOC winner, who had a 73.
Matthew Wolff of Agoura Hills shot 72 and is four shots down in a tie for seventh J.T. Poston, who holed a 21-foot birdie putt on the last hole to cap a 71.
U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland holed a 49-foot eagle putt on the seventh hole to highlight a 69 and is five down in a tie for ninth with Jon Rahm of Spain (73), Collin Morikawa of La Canada Flintridge and Cal (71), Matt Kuchar (74), Lanto Griffin (71) and Nate Lashley (71).
Fifth-ranked Dustin Johnson, who won at Kapalua in 2013 and 2018, is tied for 15th after a 71 that included a 42-foot eagle putt on the fifth hole.
For complete results, visit https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html
