|
The 29-year-old Munoz, whose only previous PGA Tour win came in
2019, finished with two eagles, nine birdies and one bogey. On a
four-hole span straddling the turn, he went
eagle-birdie-birdie-eagle to leave him at 8 under after 12
holes. He then birdied four of the final five holes as well.
"It's a great feeling when everything is clicking," Munoz said.
"When everything is going, it's just stay out of the way and
just kind of let it happen."
Munoz also entered the record book for his second round of 60 or
under in the same season, after he shot a 60 in the first round
of the RSM Classic in November on a par-70 course. He
acknowledged that going even lower crossed his mind when he was
on the fairway of the par-5 18th hole.
"Fifty-nine. Yeah. I mean, I wanted to give me a chance," Munoz
said. "I think it was 250 to the pin into the wind. I kind of
wanted to hit like a bullet, like a little draw. I knew if I
want to hit it close had to be a fady, soft-landed shot; I tried
to do that. Overdid it and ended up with a (birdie for a) 60,
which is really good around here."
Four golfers are tied for second, four shots back at 64: Mito
Pereira of Chile, defending champion K.H. Lee of South Korea and
Americans Peter Malnati and Justin Lower.
Pereira, who started on the back nine and had an early eagle,
sat at 3 under after a bogey on No. 1, but he bounced back to
birdie five of his final seven holes.
Lee played a bogey-free round, opening with a birdie and then
going on an impressive run of his own straddling the front and
back nine, going 7 under from the fifth hole to the 12th, which
he eagled.
Lee said he "feels very comfortable here" and that the course
rewards his irons play. "I think here (a strong) irons game ...
and also putting, because a lot of guys a lot birdies and
eagles, so (you) need to low under par."
Malnati, who also went bogey-free, gained his ground on just six
holes, with two eagles and four birdies within a 10-hole span.
Lower went 4 under with no bogeys on the front nine, and then
offset a bogey with an eagle and three birdies to wind up 4
under on the back.
Kyle Wilshire is alone in sixth place after a 7-under 65.
FedExCup leader and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Jordan
Spieth, a native of nearby Dallas, are among a large group who
are tied for 12th at 5 under.
--Field Level Media
[© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
|
