Australian Cameron Davis is still in the mix for his first major tour win, but he had to deal with some sensational scoring — including a 59 — at the US PGA Tour’s Northern Trust event in Boston today.
Davis, 25, is tied-second after a second-round 65 at TPC Boston, continuing his sensational run in a groundbreaking year.
The man from Monash Country Club in Sydney now has a sequence of scores since the second round of last week’s Wyndham Championship that reads: 65-65-65-64-65. No wonder the 2017 Australian Open champion is surging toward the end of the PGA Tour season.
Historic 59
But not even that kind of scoring could find all the headlines. American Scottie Scheffler became the 11th in PGA Tour history to break 60 today. Former world No. 1 Dustin Johnson also shot 60 and had several great chances to smash the barrier, too.
By day’s end, it was Johnson at 15-under par who held the lead by two shots from Davis and Scheffler at 13-under.
Johnson was 11-under par through 11 holes today, needing to pick up just one more shot to break 60. He burned the hole several times down the stretch, including the 17th (from three metres) and the 18th (from six metres). Still, he had to be content with his 11-under par 60.
Davis started the day with a share of the lead at seven under and in an almost carbon-copy start to yesterday’s opening round, immediately rolled in birdie putts at the first three holes.
“I feel like my game plan around here doesn’t need to change very much. So far through two rounds,” Davis said post-round.
“Yeah, it’s the same sort of deal. I mean, same distance from the pin that I’m aiming, same looks for putts and same clubs off the tees.”
A three-putt bogey at the sixth slowed his progress, but he immediately birdied the seventh and eighth, turning in 32. Birdies at the 10th and the par-five 18th from short-range left him right in the mix.
In The Mix
Davis began the playoffs in 91st, but is projected to jump into the top 20 provided he can maintain his position over the weekend.
“So far through two rounds, it’s been really good. I just need to do two more of those and should be good,” he added.
The top 70 go through to the BMW Championship in Chicago next week, but that won’t be a problem for Davis, even though it is just his first appearance in the US Tour playoffs.
Adam Scott (66-70) and Cameron Smith (69-68) are also having a good week in Boston and will get through at least to Chicago.
Matt Jones also made the cut to give himself a chance of advancing. Marc Leishman and Jason Day missed the cut, but were guaranteed of advancing.
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy (three under) squeezed inside the cut-line today. Sadly, last week’s major winner, Collin Morikawa, was among those who missed out.
