Michael Thompson’s only victory on the PGA Tour came in the 2013 Honda Classic, but he’s put himself in position to win again.
The 35-year-old Thompson carded a 5-under-par 66 in the wind and is tied for the lead with Richy Weresnki midway through the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minn., the seventh tournament since the restart without spectators after a shutdown in March because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
“It definitely was a little more of a struggle than yesterday, but I was able to stay within myself and overall continued to play well,” said Thompson, who opened with a bogey-free 64. “It’s a little windy out there and the course is playing tougher, but I hit my irons well and was rolling the ball well on the greens.
“I just tried the stay within myself and be aggressive when I had good numbers. I just tried to keep it simple and played good golf, except for my bogey at No. 12. I just have to play my game, and if I play Michael Thompson golf I should be right there on Sunday.”
Thompson made three birdies on each nine and sank a 20-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to tie Werensky for the lead with a 36-hole total of 12-under 130.
Werensky, the first-round leader at 63, made three birdies while opening on the front nine, and after his lone bogey at No. 3 made two more birdies on the last four holes to finish at 67.
“I’m a morning person, I always get up early at home, so it didn’t bother me to have a 4 a.m. wakeup call; I like it,” said Werensky, who has won four times as a pro, but never on the PGA Tour. “It’s a lot more windy today and I just tried to stay within myself.
“The fairways were a lot faster today, the greens are getting quicker, and I think the course is going to keep getting firmer and faster. I was better off the tee and took advantage of that when I could, making some good putts to keep the round going.”
Tony Finau, who led the Memorial Tournament for 2½ rounds last week before finishing eighth, holed his third shot for an eagle at No. 6 on his way to a 66 and is one stroke back in a tie for third with Talor Gooch, who had a bogey-free 65, while Xinjun Zhang of China is two strokes back in solo fifth after tapping in for a birdie on the last hole to cap a 67.
Defending champion Matthew Wolff of Agoura Hills posted a bogey-free 68 and is three down in a tie for sixth with Cameron Davis of Australia, who had a 66, while Patrick Rodgers of Stanford wound up at 68 and is four behind in a tie for ninth with Nick Watney (69) of Davis and Frenso State, Charl Schwartzel of South Africa (68) and Bo Van Pelt (68).
Sixth-ranked Brooks Koepka, battling a left knee injury, finished at 70-71—141 and missed the cut by one stroke, and won’t be around on the weekend for the second time in his last three tournaments.
Koepka said he still plans to defend his titles the next two weeks in the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tenn., and the PGA Championship at Harding Park in San Francisco.
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