IVINS, Utah — Stephan Jaeger made up for a three-putt from 10 ft by chipping in for birdie on consecutive holes Friday for an 8-under 63 that gave him a one-shot lead earlier than the second spherical was suspended by darkness on the inaugural Black Desert Championship.
The PGA Tour’s return to Utah for the primary time in 61 years has been greeted with low scoring on the Tom Weiskopf design carved out of an historical black lava discipline.
Jaeger was at 14-under 128 — by three pictures his lowest 36-hole rating — and he nonetheless had six gamers inside two pictures of him on the Black Desert Resort.
Adam Svensson adopted his career-low 60 with a 69 and was one shot again together with Ben Kohles, who had a 64.
Matt McCarty, whose three Korn Ferry Tour wins gave him an immediate promotion to the PGA Tour in August, was at 12-under par and about 20 ft away within the first reduce on the par-5 seventh when it was too darkish to proceed. He nonetheless had the par-5 ninth to finish his second spherical Saturday morning.
Harris English (64), Henrik Norlander (68) and Sam Ryder (66) had been in at 12-under 130.
Jaeger made an early transfer on one other picturesque day within the southwestern tip of Utah with three straight birdies to begin and one other on the reachable par-4 fifth gap. He was poised for an additional birdie till his 10-foot putt on the seventh ran about 3 ft by and he missed the brief par putt coming again.
However he finally got here roaring again, making a 30-foot birdie on the twelfth, driving the par-4 14th inexperienced for a two-putt birdie and chipping in on the following two holes. Jaeger two-putted from 50 ft for birdie on the par-5 closing gap to take the lead.
“The 2 chip-ins on the again sort of made this spherical from being good to nice, so tremendous pleased with it,” Jaeger mentioned. “Sport feels good.”
Jaeger already has one victory this 12 months, capturing his first PGA Tour title within the Houston Open in a duel with Scottie Scheffler. It is every part in between that has left him looking out.
He’s one among two gamers — Chris Kirk, who was six pictures again, is the opposite — within the discipline who completed within the high 50 within the FedEx Cup and are assured of all of the $20 million signature occasions subsequent 12 months.
For gamers like English, it is an opportunity to complete within the high 60 and not less than get into two of the early $20 million occasions at Pebble Seaside and Riviera.
“I am not likely caught up in all that,” English mentioned. “Enjoying good golf is quite a lot of enjoyable, and that is why I play. I am right here to attempt to win, rise up the leaderboard and get these nerves occurring Sunday and people butterflies and see in the event you can pull off a win.”
Then so many others need to be sure that they end within the high 125 to safe a full tour card. Norlander is at No. 131 and Ryder is at No. 132, so this turns into an enormous week.
Nonetheless to be decided when the second spherical resumes Saturday morning is the reduce, which was at 5-under par. Wesley Bryan was at 3 underneath and had a 15-foot eagle putt on his last gap, which he selected to mark and wait till the morning.
One participant sure to overlook the reduce was Jay Don Blake, the 65-year-old Utah native who grew up a few half-mile away from what was an historical lava discipline on the time. Now it is a five-star resort internet hosting a PGA Tour occasion, and Blake was given a sponsor exemption. It was his five hundredth profession begin. He shot a 79.
“Enjoying and with the ability to take part within the five hundredth occasion is only a loopy dream story,” mentioned Blake, who gained at Torrey Pines for his solely tour title. “I gave up on making an attempt to get 500 about 10, 12 years in the past. All of the feelings have been like a whirlwind in all places. Most of it has been a pleasure, and I actually had fun.”
