Nick Taylor says Pebble Beach Golf Links www.pebblebeach.com is his favorite course and after playing there on Friday he holds a two-stroke lead for the second straight day in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in more sunny weather on the Monterey Peninsula.
The 31-year-old Canadian posted a 6-under-par 66 on the host course at Pebble and is two shots ahead of Jason Day of Australia midway through what was affectionately known as the Bing Crosby Clambake in years past.
“I played solid again from tee-to-green and rolled in some putts,” said Taylor, whose only PGA Tour victory came in the 2014 Sanderson Farms Championship. “I was 3-under through six holes and then made some nice putts on the last five holes.
“I’m playing Spyglass Hill tomorrow and that’s supposed to be the toughest course (in the tournament rotation), and there’s supposed to be some wind, so the holes near the water will play even harder. But I’ll just keep me head down and try to make birdies.
“Six years (since his one victory) is a long time, but my game has matured and is more well-rounded. I’m executing well and just want to keep going.”
Taylor, who shot 8-under 63 in the first round on the Shore Course at Monterey Peninsula Country Club https://www.mpccpb.org, birdied three of the first four holes and five of the last six after making his only bogey at No. 12 in round two while recording a 36-hole score of 14-under 129.
Day, who has never won at Pebble despite finishing sixth or better on six occasions, chipped from 40 yards an for an eagle on the 14th hole and added three birdies while shooting 64, also at Pebble.
“I feel very comfortable here and love the golf courses,” said Day, whose best finish in the tournament was a tie for second two years ago. “It’s always great to play in nice weather here, like we’re having this week.
“I switched putters this week and had a really good day on the greens, really got the speeds right.”
Phil Mickelson, who won the AT&T for a fifth time last year to tie Mark O’Meara’s
tournament record, chipped in for an eagle on the 16th hole at Monterey Peninsula and birdied the first four holes to start his back nine, but finished with a bogey at No. 9 and is three back in solo third after a 64.
Fifth-ranked Dustin Johnson, a two-time AT&T champion, totaled 65 at Monterey Peninsula and is five shots behind in a tie for sixth with Chris Baker (64, Pebble Beach), Charl Schwartzel of South Africa (66, Pebble Beach) and Scott Baker (66, Pebble Beach).
Matt Every carded a 6-under 66 at Spyglass Hill Golf Course www.pebblebeach.com/golf/spylgass-spyglass-hill-golf-course and is six back in a tie for eighth with eighth-ranked Patrick Cantlay of Los Alamitos (69, Monterey Peninsula), Kevin Chappell of Fresno and UCLA (67, Monterey Peninsula), Brandon Wu of Stanford (66, Monterey Peninsula), Lanto Griffin (68, Monterey Peninsula) and Harry Higgs (69, Pebble Beach).
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