Late eagle lifts Stephan Jaeger to PGA Tour lead at Torrey Pines
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Stephan Jaeger of Germany plays his shot from the second tee during the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.
PHOTO: AFP
LOS ANGELES – Germany’s Stephan Jaeger said it was “exciting” to roll in a 35-foot eagle putt at his final hole to seize a one-stroke lead over Nicolai Hojgaard after the second round of the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open.
He carded an eight-under 64 on Jan 25 on the North Course at Torrey Pines, one of two in use over the first two days of the tournament, for a 12-under total of 132.
The German snatched the solo lead with his eagle bomb at the par-five ninth hole – his last – moments after Hojgaard completed a bogey-free 66 on the North Course for an aggregate of 133.
“I hit a good drive,” Jaeger said. “It was a little into the wind today... I kind of tugged it a little bit.
“I wanted it kind of go middle of the green and I went right at it, ended up landing just short of the pin and scooting kind of (to the) back fringe.
“Had a little downhill right-to-lefter 35 feet and ended up curling in. It was awesome, finishing like that was exciting.”
The 34-year-old, ranked 101st in the world, is chasing his first PGA Tour title.
He opened with back-to-back birdies at the 10th and 11th and strung together three more at the 15th, 16th and 17th.
He followed his lone bogey of the day at the first with birdies at the third and eighth before his bravura finish.
He was looking forward to being in the hunt over the final two rounds on the challenging South Course.
“I’ve won a few times on the Korn Ferry, but to be able to be out here on the weekend with the cameras on and play in front of the guys... is awesome,” Jaeger added.
Denmark’s Hojgaard had opened with a strong five-under effort on the South Course on Jan 24 and followed that up with another solid attempt.
He climbed the leaderboard with four straight birdies from the fourth through the seventh and added two more birdies at 13th and 16th.
Two more Europeans, Belgian Thomas Detry and France’s Matthieu Pavon, shared third on 134, Pavon posting a 65 on the South Course where Detry carded a 68.
In women’s golf, reigning Olympic champion Nelly Korda and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko each fired a six-under 65 to share the lead after the opening round of the LPGA Drive On Championship on Jan 25.
Ko, coming off her 20th career LPGA triumph last weekend at the season-opening Tournament of Champions, fired a bogey-free first round.
Hometown heroine Korda had six birdies, two bogeys and an eagle.
AFP, REUTERS
