Jason Day tolerates rain, expands lead at Wells Fargo

PATAMAC, Maryland – Jason Day shook his head vigorously after spotting an 11-foot bird on his ninth hole at TPC Potomac on Avenel Farm – not out of disgust, but to knock excess water off his hat. By the end of the round Day had completely dropped his hat.

Whatever it took to get through the wet blanket of the day at the Wells Fargo Championship.

Day expected sharp blows and got one, scoring 3 to 67 in sustained rain on Friday to increase his lead to three shots. Going to his first win in four years, the former No. 1 player was in the top 10 for 130 in two rounds and enjoyed the opportunity to relax and watch the rest of the field try to stay dry.

“I’m looking forward to it. It’s nice to be back in the mix, it’s nice to be the host. There are two days left, so I can’t get ahead of myself,” Day said.

The rain did not stop for long in the afternoon, as the average score on the steam-70 TPC Potomac increased to 72.6, which is three shots higher than on Thursday. More rain is expected on Saturday, unusual cold and strong winds, and on Sunday – even colder.

Day received a hint from playmate Max Homa, who was his closest pursuer after 66. Homa told Day that he shuddered as water dripped from the overlay of his cap on the stick, causing him to punch his 6-foot bird attempt on equal footing – 4 18th. Homa threw his caddy Joe Grayner hat before returning.

Day played his second nine holes without a hat, a rare spectacle on the PGA Tour.

“I mean, you don’t see that hair that often, but hopefully the weather can go away and we can put on our hats for the weekend,” he said.

Day and Homa have teamed up with Ricky Fowler, all former Wells Fargo champions at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina. The tournament will take place at TPC Potomac because its usual venue is taking the President’s Cup in September.

The course is just great by tour standards, but the weather couldn’t be much worse for early May in the mid-Atlantic. Arrows from the first rough cut sent splashes of water from the club, and dollar-sized bills landed in the fairway with a loud bang.

In the group of Day, Homa and Fowler, who threw 72 and played eight shots, no one fussed over the ball. Day didn’t bother to take down the gallery ropes before hitting the flop to the left of the 17th Green, and Homa effectively got rid of the built-in lie without waiting for an official rule representative.

Day was pleased that his refurbished swing had endured, even if he felt out of rhythm.

“If you have such conditions, it’s very difficult for you to make a shot because you get in there and you do it a lot faster than the usual procedure before shooting,” Day said. “You have to force yourself to beat and trust that.”

Homa opened the eagle and made five more birds in a round that he wasn’t sure he would finish.

“I told Joe this morning that I thought we could get to 8. The greens held up very well,” Homa said. “We just played 18 full holes in the rain, so it’s hard to say we connected, but maybe who knows. I’m just happy it’s over. “

Danny McCarthy of neighboring Rockville was the only day who challenged at the top of the list of leaders. He had six greens in a row with one hit, four of them to keep the pair, and shot 69 to finish 6th in the junior, joining Luke Liszt (66), James Khan (68) and Kurt Kitayama (67). Keegan Bradley had a low round of the day, 65 that left him five shots back.

Rory McIlroy, the highest-ranked player in the field at number 7, scored 73 shots and finished with a draw. Matthew Wolf, who scored 65 out of nowhere on Thursday, retreated from 73.

A day after he told a rule official he “can’t wait to leave this tour”, Sergio Garcia has been on the turn for less than 5 years but has hit two of the last three holes at 71. He was eight shots back. and refused to talk to reporters for the second day in a row.

Morgan Hoffman, who made a long-standing bid to keep his tour card after two years away from golf due to muscular dystrophy, missed the result with rounds 73 and 80. He has one start left on a major medical overtime and needs a tie for a second to get full status by the end of the season.