Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele followed their 59 with a 4-under-par 68 Friday to maintain the lead at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in Avondale, La.
Cantlay and Schauffele stand at 17 under after two rounds of the team event at TPC Louisiana. Two teams shot 67 Friday to forge a tie for second at 16 under: David Lipsky and England’s Aaron Rai, plus Sam Ryder and Doc Redman.
The teams of South Africans Garrick Higgo and Branden Grace as well as Australians Jason Day and Jason Scrivener each posted rounds of 7-under 65. They matched the tournament record for foursomes, or alternate shot, in which teammates take turns hitting shots to complete each hole.
Higgo and Grace are tied for fourth with Wyndham Clark and Cameron Tringale (67) at 15 under, and Day and Scrivener enter the weekend tied for sixth with Sam Burns and Billy Horschel (68) at 14 under.
Like Thursday’s round, Saturday will be four-balls, or best ball, in which both golfers play each hole and choose the better score between them. The tournament then returns to alternate shot Sunday for the final round.
Cantlay and Schauffele started on the back nine Friday and opened with three birdies and a bogey over their first four holes, including a 3-footer for birdie at #10. They settled in from there, making 12 pars and two birdies over the last 14 holes.
“We really fought hard and made a bunch of those mid-range putts, especially in the middle of the round, and that kind of kept the momentum going,” Cantlay said. “It’s kind of tricky out there with the wind how it is, so I thought we played a nice round today.”
Lipsky and Rai posted six birdies and just one bogey, wrapped up when Rai sank an 18-foot birdie at the par-5 18th.
Lipsky, ranked #201 in the world, was in a car accident on his way to the course earlier in the week, though he said he and the other drivers involved were fine.
Former world #1 Day and Scrivener posted their 65 early in the day before Higgo and Grace matched it later on. A 12-foot eagle putt on the par-5 seventh helped Day and Scrivener along, and they were on track for a 64 before bogeying the par-4 17th.
It was their second consecutive round of 65, but given the more difficult format, Day felt Friday’s performance was better.
“I feel like we’re gelling really, really well together on the greens and we’re very similar in regards to how we read the putt and how we like to see the putt go in the hole, so that helps a lot,” Day said. “Today was special. I think we played some really phenomenal golf out there, especially with how the weather was.”
Higgo and Grace, meanwhile, made seven birdies and stayed bogey-free.
Australians Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman, the defending champions, were part of an eight-way tie for eighth at 11 under after shooting 68 Friday.
Thirty-nine teams made the cut of 8 under, including father-son team Jay and Bill Haas. Jay Haas set the PGA Tour record for the oldest player to make a cut at 68 years, four months and 20 days old. He surpassed Sam Snead, who made three cuts as a 67-year-old in 1979.
“I don’t think it should (count) because Sam Snead did it on his own and all that, but anything that I’m even remotely close to Sam Snead on would be very special,” Haas said.