by Jacob Bridgeman carded a two-and-under-par-69 on Friday to take on a slim one-shot lead in the half-time of the US PGA Tour Valspar-Valspar-Valspar Championship in Florida.
The 25-year-old from South Carolina recovered from an irregular front nine, in which two birdies and two bogeys ended the day under 36 holes in the Innisbrook Resort of Palm Harbor.
Bridgeman, who only plays his second full season on the tour, is after a second place at the Cognizant Classic at the beginning of this month full of confidence-10 finish of his career.
“I felt much more comfortable this year,” said Bridgeman. “When I was my second year to know the courses and to be familiar with traveling and what to do … it was just a trustee for me.
“I haven’t done anything like that in my career and it was kind of nice to clear it out.”
Bridgeman will have few mistakes for mistakes over the weekend, and an overcrowded ranking list lurks right behind him.
Three player Norway Viktor Hovland, Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune and South Korea’s A Byeong-Hun-Sind one of the leadership of five below the leadership.
Hisatsune has thrown the ranking with a five-or-park 66, which contained five birdies on the back of nine.
The most important winners Shane Lowry and Xander Schauffele are also at a blow, two of the leadership of four.
Schauffele has only recently returned from an eight -week injury plan and, after a dazzling 2024, who is slowly back to form and fitness at the PGA Championship and British Open.
Although he ended at the Player Championship last week, the 31-year-old said on Friday that he was encouraged by his previous form in the Valspar.
“The only goal was to get in touch with the weekend and to get some of these feelings again,” said Schauffele. “As soon as I feel a bit of pressure in my game, the swing is sometimes a bit dodgy.
“So it’s all part of it to come back and play at a high level.”
Five players are three players of three under three under the direction, including the Englands Harry Hall and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo.
RCW/SEV
