Brian Harman builds 4-shot lead at
Texas Open
[April 05, 2025]
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Brian Harman found the range with his iron
shots and converted eight birdie putts Friday, none outside 12 feet,
for a 6-under 66 that gave him a four-shot lead over Keith Mitchell
going into the weekend at the Valero Texas Open.
Harman has his first 36-hole lead since Bay Hill a year ago, and
this is the largest lead he's had at the midway point since he led
by five at Hoylake in 2023 when he won the British Open.
“Just know that I've done it before and that it is possible,” Harman
said of his experience with a big lead. “You get on big leads
sometimes — and I'm sure Keith is going to make a few birdies coming
in. Look, man, it's just left foot, right foot and just take your
time getting finished.”
Harman was at 12-under 132 at the TPC San Antonio.
Mitchell, who needs a victory to get into the Masters next week, had
an up-and-down day that added to an even-par 72. He did make some
birdies coming in, holing a pair of 12-foot putts, only to take
bogey from a bunker on the par-3 seventh hole and close with two
pars.
“I'm still in there,” Mitchell said. “I wish I was closer to Brian
than I am, but glad to make par on 9 so I could stay in the last
group. ... Thankfully, I played great yesterday and have two more
rounds.”
Ryo Hisatsune and Matt Wallace each shot 67, while Sam Ryder
stumbled to a 74 — 11 shots worse than his opening round to take the
lead — while feeling some pain in his neck.
Ryder took only 21 putts in his opening round, when he tried not to
do too much with a neck injury that caused him to miss the pro-am.
The second round caught up with him, especially finishing late
Thursday and then having an early tee time.
“I could sit here and make excuses, but I just didn’t play well,”
Ryder said. "It’s definitely my neck — back is kind of bothering me
a little bit — but it’s just tough with the quick turnaround. I
think. But I kind of got off to a bad start and just didn’t really
get in a good rhythm.
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Keith Mitchell tees off from the 11th hole during the first round of
the Texas Open golf tournament, Thursday, April 3, 2025, in San
Antonio, Texas. (AP Photos/Rodolfo Gonzalez)
“All in all, if you told me I was going to be in
this position going into Saturday, then I would have taken it on
Thursday.”
Jordan Spieth was trying to stay in range of the leaders until he
was fooled on a couple of late chips that led to bogeys on his final
three holes. He wound up with a 73 and found himself eight shots
behind in his final start before the Masters.
Rickie Fowler kept his Masters hopes alive — he needs to win to get
in — with a 65, though he also was eight shots behind. His immediate
goal after opening with a 75 was to make it the cut.
That was the goal of Tony Finau, who pulled it off in spectacular
fashion. Finau was one shot below the cut line when he made a
hole-in-one on the 16th hole, and then finished with two easy pars
to post a 72 and make it with one shot to spare.
“I needed something to go my way,” Finau said. “I was leaking oil
kind of coming in and really shooting myself in the foot on a chance
to play the weekend. So it was a huge shot at the right moment.”
Among those missing the cut were Ludvig Aberg, at No. 5 the
highest-ranked player in the field, and defending champion Akshay
Bhatia.
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