Séamus Power didn’t get much going in Thursday’s opening round at the Black Desert Championship in Utah, but he made amends with a seven-under 64 on Friday and is safely through to the weekend.
Power birdied three of the opening nine on day two, to make the turn at -3 on the day and -2 overall. Birdie chances came and went on holes 10 through 13, but after sticking a 300-yard drive to 15 feet on the short par-4 14th, he drained the eagle putt to kickstart the back nine.
He almost aced the par-3 15th and had a tap in birdie, then after two pars, signed off with a routine two-putt birdie on the par-5 18th to move to -7 for the round and -6 overall.
With play again suspended for darkness with 19 players still on course, Power sits tied for 37th, eight shots back, but climbed 73 places on the leaderboard thanks to his second day’s efforts.
Stephan Jaeger managed an eight-under 63, despite three-putting from 10 feet and takes a one shot lead into Saturday.
Jaeger’s 14-under 36-hole tally doesn’t afford him much breathing room, however, and he still has six players within two shots of him at the Black Desert Resort.
Adam Svensson followed his career-low 60 with a 69 and is one shot back alongside Ben Kohles, who added a 64 to his opening 65 which was aided by a hole-in-one.
Korn Ferry Tour graduate Matt McCarty is at 12-under with three holes left to complete, two of which are par-5s, while Harris English (64), Henrik Norlander (68) and Sam Ryder (66) sit tied for fourth at -12.
Jaeger made an early move on another picturesque day in the southwestern tip of Utah with three straight birdies to start and another on the reachable par-4 5th hole. He was poised for another birdie until his 10-foot putt on the 7th ran about three feet by and he missed the short par putt coming back.
But he eventually came roaring back, making a 30-foot birdie on the 12th, driving the par-four 14th green for a two-putt birdie and then chipping in on the next two holes. Jaeger two-putted from 50 feet for birdie on the par-5 closing hole to take the lead.
“The two chip-ins on the back kind of made this round from being good to great, so super happy with it,” Jaeger said. “Game feels nice.”
Jaeger already has one victory this year, capturing his first PGA Tour title in the Houston Open in a duel over Scottie Scheffler. It’s everything in between that has left him searching.
He is one of two players – Chris Kirk, who was six shots back, is the other – who finished in the top 50 in the FedExCup and are assured of all the $20-million signature events next year.
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