Golf: Matthew NeSmith fires 61 to take Valspar Championship lead
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Matthew NeSmith birdied six of his last nine holes, matching the course record with a 10-under 61 to seize the second-round lead.
PHOTO: AFP
MIAMI (AFP, REUTERS) - Matthew NeSmith believes it was all thanks to his cool head that he birdied six of his last nine holes, matching the course record with a 10-under 61 to seize the second-round lead in the PGA Valspar Championship on Friday (March 18).
The American was just right of the cup on an 18-foot birdie putt at the par-four ninth, his final hole, to settle for sharing the mark at Innisbrook's Copperhead course with Irishman Padraig Harrington's first round in 2012.
"Thought the putt was going to go in the hole, but that's OK," said NeSmith, whose best PGA Tour result was a shared sixth at Puerto Rico in 2020.
The 28-year-old, who grew up just outside the Masters' home in Augusta, Georgia, tapped in for the lowest round of his career by two shots and took a two-stroke lead on 14-under 128 after 36 holes in Palm Harbour, Florida.
"I just came out very calm and in the present. It didn't really affect me too much," NeSmith said of the pressure.
Canada's Adam Hadwin (66) was second on 130 with defending champion Sam Burns (67) and Scott Stallings (66) on 131 and Justin Thomas (66) fifth on 132.
World No. 279 NeSmith had eight birdies and an eagle to fire his first career back-to-back bogey-free rounds and also set a 36-hole Copperhead record, two strokes better than last year's mark shared by Burns and Keegan Bradley, and a personal 36-hole best.
"I've been working a lot on trying not to get too far ahead of myself, and I was just sticking with my mantra," he said.
Hadwin, making his 126th start since taking his only PGA win at the 2017 Valspar, matched his low career 36-hole total.
Not since Robert Streb at the 2014 and 2020 RSM Classics has a PGA player won his first two Tour titles at the same event.
Second-ranked Collin Morikawa and Norway's third-ranked Viktor Hovland could overtake Spaniard Jon Rahm for the world No. 1 spot this week, but Morikawa (70) was 10 back on 138 and Hovland (70) made the lowest-ever Valspar cut on three-under 139.
