Friday, June 25, 2021 – Round 2 Recap
Friday at the Travelers Championship was quite a day for Jason Day. The 12-time PGA TOUR winner shot an 8-under-par 62 at TPC River Highlands, grabbing a one-stroke lead over three-time tournament winner Bubba Watson and Kramer Hickok at the halfway point of the 2021 Travelers Championship.
Day’s 62 pushed him to 9-under 131 after 36 holes. It’s the first time Day has held at least a share of the lead in a PGA TOUR event since the PGA Championship in 2020, when he opened with 65 and tied for fourth. His last victory came at the Wells Fargo Championship in 2018.
Starting his round at the 10th hole, Day carded three birdies on the back nine, then made the turn and added five more birdies. This is Day’s seventh appearance at the Travelers Championship. His best finish in six previous starts is a tie for eighth in 2019.
Watson is looking to tie Billy Casper as the only four-time winners of the Travelers Championship. Watson’s first TOUR win came at TPC River Highlands, in 2010, and he added victories in 2015 and 2018. With a 66-66 start, Watson is in position once again in Connecticut.
Hickock shared the first-round lead after a 63, and was 3-under for his round and alone in the lead at 10-under before a double bogey at the par-3 16th dropped him back to 8-under. Hickok is seeking his first career TOUR win.
Russell Henley (66 on Friday), Kevin Kisner (63), Seamus Power (67), Justin Rose (63), K.H. Lee (64), Brice Garnett (68) and Troy Merritt (65) were all tied for fourth at 7-under. Defending champion Dustin Johnson and two-time winner Phil Mickelson both made the cut, as did Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed and Patrick Cantlay. Koepka had the shot of the day, holing an 8-iron from 159 yards for an eagle 2 at the par-4 18th hole.
The cut came at 2-under 138, with 79 players advancing to the final two rounds. The third round is scheduled for Saturday, with Golf Channel providing live early coverage from 1 to 3 p.m. EDT, followed by CBS from 3 to 6 p.m. EDT.
