DETROIT (Reuters): Taylor Moore retained a share of the lead at the Rocket Mortgage Classic with a tightly packed crowd on his heels at Detroit Golf Club.
Canada’s Taylor Pendrith shot a second-round 64 to pull even with Moore on Friday afternoon in a redemption run at the event following a runner-up finish in 2022.
Moore and Pendrith are 13-under after 36 holes and first-round co-leader, qualifier Peter Kuest, kept himself in contention but dropped to a tie for ninth with a bogey on his final hole (No. 9) Friday at 9-under for the tournament.
Moore, who finished sixth in Detroit in 2022, bogeyed a pair of par-4s (No. 8, 16) but hit the clubhouse with a second-round 67 and the outright lead only to watch the afternoon wave turn into a mad surge from Pendrith, Rickie Fowler and Justin Lower.
Starting on the back nine Friday, Pendrith was 10-under for the tournament through nine holes and consistently climbed closer to Moore. Standing 14th through 18 holes Thursday, Pendrith made consecutive birdies on the third and fourth holes to pull even at 13-under and forward his strong play in Detroit. He was 21-under in 2022 and now has five rounds of 66 or better in his past six at Detroit Golf Club.
Fowler carded a 65 on Friday to settle into third place, one clear of Lower, Collin Morikawa and others tied for fifth at 11-under. Lower jumped 20 spots during Friday’s bogey-free 18 thanks to a 32 on his first nine.
Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg rolled in birdies on 16 and 17 to grab a share of third place.
Fowler climbed to within one shot of the lead with a 22-foot chip from just off the green for eagle at No. 17, erasing a bogey on the previous that ended a stretch of three birdies in four holes. He’s 12-under entering the third round.
American Andrew Landry jumped 74 spots on Day 2 with the Friday’s low round, tying the course record of 63 and settling at 9-under. He’s tied with Kuest, Dylan Wu, Britain’s Cam Davis, who was 7-under Friday, Canadian Adam Hadwin and Austrian Sepp Straka. Straka shot 33 on both sides in the second round with seven birdies.
Defending champion Tony Finau missed the cut and was 1-under for the tournament. Sam Bennett tumbled from third place with two double-bogeys, was 83rd and on the wrong side of cut line when he teed off on the par-4, 18th following a bogey at 16.
But he birdied to sneak into the weekend.
