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Like Shinkansen, nan famed Japanese slug train, Seamus Power, Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler raced up nan leaderboard connected Friday astatine Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club successful nan Japanese prefecture of Chiba, 25 miles northeast of Tokyo.
Power, who is making his first commencement astatine nan PGA Tour’s Zozo Championship and first travel to nan Land of nan Rising Sun, changeable 8-under 62, nan debased information of nan tournament.
“When you sprout 62 astir things spell your way,” Power said. “It was absorbing because it was benignant of an different start. I ended up having to make a bully par prevention connected 1, 2 and 3.”
Then he rattled disconnected 4 consecutive birdies successful a row, including a spot successful from 58 feet astatine nan fifth. Overcast conditions and lighter upwind than forecasted had nan greens soft arsenic a baby’s bottom. Power took advantage, starring nan section successful driving accuracy and having nan champion putting capacity successful nan 2nd round. Fowler and Thomas look to person aliases to beryllium getting their mojo backmost and some carded 6-under 64.
Despite going low, they’re still chasing Mexico’s Nico Echavarria, who signed for his 2nd consecutive 64 and leads Taylor Moore, his assemblage teammate astatine Arkansas, and Thomas by 2 strokes.
In lawsuit you didn’t enactment up precocious to watch, present are 5 things to cognize astir nan 2nd information of nan Zozo Championship.
Nico Echavarria of Colombia hits nan 3rd changeable connected nan 18th spread during nan 2nd information of nan Zozo Championship PGA play tourney astatine nan Narashino Country Club successful Inzai, Chiba prefecture connected October 25, 2024. (Photo by Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP) (Photo by TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP via Getty Images)
Nico Echavarria posted a brace of 64’s to drawback his first 36-hole lead connected nan PGA Tour.
With conscionable 1 apical 10 this play and 3 missed cuts successful his past 4 starts, Echavarria is nan astonishment of nan tourney astatine nan halfway mark. Starting connected nan backmost nine, he birdied No. 10 and stuck his tee changeable astatine 13 wrong 3 feet. He notched 3 much birdies connected nan backmost nine, each successful a statement starting astatine No. 4.
“I deed it good, I kept it successful play,” he said. “Didn’t make galore mistakes and nan putter was still hot.”
Echavarria topped nan putting stats successful nan first information but connected Friday he put connected a ball-striking clinic, starring nan section successful some Strokes Gained: Tee to Green and SG: Approach nan Green. He’s seeking his 2nd Tour title and will person a comfortable pairing successful nan 3rd information pinch assemblage teammate Taylor Moore being portion of nan grouping on pinch Justin Thomas.
INZAI, JAPAN – OCTOBER 25: Justin Thomas of nan United States hits his tee changeable connected nan 8th spread during nan 2nd information of nan Zozo Championship 2024 astatine Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club connected October 25, 2024 successful Inzai, Chiba, Japan. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
Justin Thomas didn’t play connected Friday for illustration a golfer coming disconnected a seven-week hiatus.
“I’ve been champing astatine nan spot to beryllium capable to get backmost retired because I consciousness for illustration I’ve been playing really good and I for illustration nan measurement things person been trending but it doesn’t matter erstwhile you’ve been astatine location playing pinch your buddies,” he said. “You want to travel retired and person a chance to put it successful play astatine a tournament.”
With woman Jillian expecting nan couple’s first kid successful November, it’s now aliases ne'er for Thomas to extremity his 2 ½ twelvemonth triumph drought since nan 2022 PGA Championship this season. Thomas fired a bogey-free 64 connected Friday to vault into a necktie for 2nd astatine 10-under 130.
Thomas sank a 16-foot birdie astatine No. 6 for his lone birdie connected nan beforehand nine. He made a akin magnitude putt astatine No. 10 and past stuffed his tee changeable astatine nan par-3 13th inside of a foot. He tacked connected a 23-foot bender astatine nan par-3 16th and vanished up pinch nan changeable of nan day, a trim 5-iron from 214 yards to 4 feet to group up eagle astatine nan last.
“That was astir arsenic cleanable arsenic I could tie it up to extremity nan day,” he said.
INZAI, JAPAN – OCTOBER 25: Rickie Fowler of nan United States hits his tee changeable connected nan 12th spread during nan 2nd information of nan Zozo Championship 2024 astatine Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club connected October 25, 2024 successful Inzai, Chiba, Japan. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)
Rickie Fowler is officially trending successful nan correct direction. He changeable 6-under 64 connected Friday, tying his debased information of nan play (Travelers Championship, first round) and recorded his 10th straight information successful nan 60s during nan FedEx Cup Fall.
He credited amended robust play that helped him deed 15 of 18 greens, but 2 of nan misses were connected nan fringe.
“Pretty stress-free,” he said.
Fowler besides inserted a caller L.A.B. putter successful nan container astatine nan Sanderson Farms Championship that has him draining much putts.
“I’m hitting my lines really good and that’s a bully boost of confidence,” he said. “It’s a small different look nan measurement nan shaft leans and being onset. I saw a batch of bully benefits from it and it’s been nosy to put it nether nan gun.”
Add it up and Fowler said he played a small amended crossed nan committee connected Friday. He’s lurking, conscionable 4 disconnected nan lead. How overmuch would it mean for Fowler to triumph successful Japan?
“it would beryllium astonishing to triumph here. Came adjacent a fewer years ago,” said Fowler, whose ancestry includes Japanese relatives connected his mom’s side. “My awesome grandma, she came complete reasonably young. Pretty acold removed from Japan. I’m judge I person relatives here, but I don’t cognize anyone.”
Eric Cole of nan US tees disconnected astatine nan 10th spread during nan 2nd information of nan Zozo Championship PGA play tourney astatine nan Narashino Country Club successful Inzai, Chiba prefecture connected October 25, 2024. (Photo by Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP) (Photo by TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP via Getty Images)
One twelvemonth aft finishing associated 2nd astatine nan Zozo, Eric Cole is successful nan operation for his first Tour title yet again.
The reigning Tour Rookie of nan Year fired 67 connected Friday and improved to 9-under 131. He had different bully putting time and was bogey-free until he grounded to get up and down from a greenside bunker astatine his last hole, nan ninth.
Cole’s fondness of playing successful Japan stretches backmost to him mother, Laura Baugh, who passed up a danasiwa astatine Stanford and turned pro successful 1973. She went to play successful Japan until she met nan LPGA’s property request for membership.
“IMG [International Management Group] offered maine $1,000 to move pro and spell to Japan, each expenses paid. What could I say?” she told Golf Digest’s Guy Yocom.
One of nan reporters asked Cole astir his mother, calling her “The Fairy of nan Greens,” and wondered if she’d beryllium coming to Japan.
“I deliberation she would emotion to travel back, but this twelvemonth didn’t activity truthful possibly adjacent twelvemonth it’s connected nan schedule, we’ll see,” Cole said.
He added, “she’s told maine a batch of awesome things astir Japan. Last twelvemonth being my first time, it was benignant of cool to perceive immoderate of nan awesome things that she had to opportunity from her trips here, truthful it was benignant of cool to stock that pinch her.”
INZAI, JAPAN – OCTOBER 25: Xander Schauffele of nan United States hits his tee changeable connected nan 12th spread during nan 2nd information of nan Zozo Championship 2024 astatine Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club connected October 25, 2024 successful Inzai, Chiba, Japan. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)
Happy 31st day to nan Champion Golfer of nan Year.
One time aft making a quadruple bogey and shooting 3-over 73, Xander Schauffele bounced backmost to paper a 5-under 65 connected Friday. His information started connected nan correct ft pinch nan crowd serenading him to nan tune of “Happy Birthday.”
“Everyone was very supportive on nan way. Nice measurement to walk my 31st birthday,” Schuaffele said.
He’s still sewage his activity trim retired to make a tally astatine nan title but Friday’s information helped him move successful nan correct direction.
“If you’re hitting nan shot nicely you tin decidedly sprout immoderate debased scores. Just sewage to support nan shot successful beforehand of maine tomorrow and Sunday and effort to springiness myself a chance,” Schauffele said.
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