Putnam, Knox share Shriners spoils

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Andrew Putnam carded a six-under-par 65 to join Russell Knox at the top of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open leaderboard after Friday’s second round.

Playing in only his fourth PGA Tour event after earning his Tour card through the Web.com Tour, Putnam notched two birdies in his last three holes to reach 10-under-par at the halfway stage at Summerlin.

”It was a good round,” Putnam admitted after the round.

”I started off slow, one bogey, but played good out there. I played the par 5s well today, was able to take advantage of those.”

Knox carded a 67 which included six birdies, although his round could have been much better had he not bogeyed numbers two and three.

”I got a bit worried, though, because I was all over the map,” Knox said.

”I didn’t feel real good with my swing, and I knew if I just made some pars, eventually something would click. And I made a couple putts, which really settled me down.”

One shot behind the leaders on nine-under are Andrew Svoboda and Tony Finau, who carded 67 and 65 respectively.

”I putted really well today,” Svoboda said. ”I made some long putts.”

A group of eight players were another shot behind on eight-under, including Webb Simpson (65), the defending champion.

”I just kept it right in front of me,” Simpson said after his bogey-free round.

”That’s what I did last year on this golf course. If you keep hitting the fairways, you’re going to have opportunities to make birdie. I made some putts today.
Didn’t make many yesterday. All around, just a good, solid day.”

Another player who is tied for fifth place with Simprons is Spencer Leven, who – alongside George McNeill – carded 63s, the lowest rounds of the week to date.

”I was 1 over through three, so to shoot 8 under is pretty cool,” Levin said after birdying seven his last eight holes

”I made a couple nice putts on my 17th and 18th holes, which kind of makes you feel a little better. I really didn’t play that bad, I just didn’t putt well yesterday. I probably played a little better today tee to green, but not much. It’s just the putts went in today.”

”Obviously, I knew what I had to do,” McNeill said after he birdied seven of his last 10 holes.

”I wasn’t trying to really force anything, but fortunately got off to a decent start, and again in the middle of the round kept it going, and then a nice finish birdying 18.”

Last week’s winner at the Frys.com Open Bae Sang-moon missed the cut having carded rounds of 71 and 72.

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