Taylor Pendrith of Canada has never won on the PGA Tour, but you wouldn’t know it by the way he is playing this week.
The 32-year-old Pendrith (pictured) posted a brilliant, bogey-free eight-under-par 64 and is tied for the lead with first-round co-leader Taylor Moore midway through the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club in Detroit, Wayne County, Mich.
“I played very solid golf, no bogeys again today, which was great,” said Pendrith, who won twice on the PGA Tour Canada in 2019 for his only professional victories. “I hit a lot of really good wedge shots on my front nine. On the back nine, it was a little bit more of a grind, but my putter kept me in it.
“I learned a lot when I played in this tournament last year, that you’ve got to play aggressive golf and stay that way. There’s still tons of birdies out there, so you just have to stay aggressive and keep making birdies.
“All in all, I’m super happy and looking forward to the weekend, with the way I’m playing right now.”
Pendrith, who tied for second in this tournament last year for the best result of his career on the big tour, rattled off five birdies on his first eight holes with the last three coming in a row, before adding three birdies on the back nine to card a 36-hole score of 13-under-par 131.
Moore, who was tied for the first-round lead with Peter Kuest by shooting a bogey-free 64, equaled Pendrith’s score by making seven birdies, including three straight birdies through the turn after starting on the back nine, against two bogeys in a 67.
“Golf is just such a finicky game,” said Moore, who claimed his first PGA Tour title in the Valspar Championship early this season. “I really haven’t felt like I’ve been that far off and haven’t made a cut in a couple weeks.
“I got off to a good start, felt like I got into a pretty good rhythm. I made a few bad swings in the middle of that front nine and then really bounced back over the turn, birdied Nos. 17, 18, and 1, and kind of jump-started my round a little bit. I saw some putts go in and was pleased about that.
“I’m feeling good for the weekend.”
Rickie Fowler chipped in for an eagle from 27 feet on the 17th hole in his 65 and is one stroke behind in a tie for third with Ludvig Aberg of Sweden, who birdied four of the first seven holes and two of the last three in a 67.
Two-time major champion Collin Morikawa of La Canada Flintridge and Cal sank a three-foot eagle putt on No. 14 after a sizzling 242-yard approach shot in his 67 and is two shots back in a tie for fifth with Justin Lower, who had four birdies on the front nine and three on the back in a 65, Aaron Rai of England, who birdied the last hole for a 68, and Adam Schenk, who made four straight birdies through the turn in another 68.
Cam Davis of Australia, who won the 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic, holed out from 48 feet for an eagle on the fourth hole and added five birdies on the front nine in a 65 and is three down in a big tie for ninth with Andrew Landry, who shot a bogey-free 63; Adam Hadwin of Canada, who made three late birdies for a 68; Sepp Straka of Austria, who also had three birdies down the stretch in a 66; Dylan Wu, who had three birdies on each nine in a 69, and Kuest, who had four birdies in a 70.
Keegan Bradley, the 2011 PGA champion who won the Travelers Championship last week, birdied four of the last five holes and is tied for 19th after a 67, ninth-ranked Max Homa of Valencia and Cal sank a seven-foot eagle putt at No. 17 in a 68 and is tied for 29th, and two-time major champion Zach Johnson made four birdies on his front nine in a 68 to tie for 64th.
Defending champion Tony Finau, ranked No. 14, shot 71 and missed the cut by three strokes, 17th-ranked Justin Thomas missed the weekend by five shots following a 71.
For complete results and third-round tee times, visit: https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard
