SILVIS, Illinois – Doug Gimm punched a hole for the Eagle for the second day in a row from the fairway, sending him to a 3-under 68 and one-shot lead with the 68-year-old John Deere Classic.
Defending champions Davis Thompson (63) and Max Homa (68) were one of five players on a single-shot lead to go on weekends. Start times increased on Saturday due to forecast rain.
Ghim drilled a hole in the opening round with a short Par-4 6th place. This time it was a par 4, 179 yards away.
“I think it’s always good to have a hole drilled for two days in a row,” Ghim said. “It’s been several years since we drilled a hole from the fairway. It’s great to see two consecutive days.”
Ghim had a two-shot lead, bumping into the tree to the left, descending a kart pass, passing through the green to chipping 18 feet, missing a putt and making the second bogey of the round. He was 12 under 130.
Mexico’s opening winners Brian Campbell (66), David Lipski (67) and Emiliano Grillo (66) finished second.
Ghim still believes he has come a long way from his first chance of winning in a tournament that has produced a first-time winner than a PGA Tour event since 1970.
“The people who win this tournament are in the 20 under par area, so they’re not there yet when they last checked,” Ghim said. “I don’t feel like I’m at the forefront. I’m happy to be competing late tomorrow.”
Homa was associated with GHIM in the late afternoon when the greens became dry and unfriendly. However, on hole 18, Homa pulled the tee shot into the bunker, missing green to the right, losing a 12-foot putt and headed back to one.
He is still in good condition over the weekend as he tries to turn his game around. It was difficult to put together four rounds, or even three, and Homa didn’t sound like he wanted to go ahead before him.
“I really don’t think it’s going to change that much. I mean, I just play the golf course,” Homa said. “You’re going to have to shoot really low. If you’re going there and trying to do something specific, I’m not sure if it will work. Someone can get out there and shoot 11 and jump over everyone.
“Essentially wait until Buck 9 on Sunday.”
Thompson played in the morning and first reached 11 under 131 as he tried to become the first repeat winner of the John Deere Classic since Steve Sticker won three straight games from 2009 to 2011.
There was a high drama at the end of the day to set the cut at 5 under 137.
Rikuya Hoshino and Jesper Svensson each made birdies in the final hole and moved the cut line to 5 under. Paul Peterson took Bogey to the final hole and returned it to 4 under.
However, in the final group, Brendan Valdez delved into the tee shot on the par 4 18th, hitting the approach to about 8 feet and stopped the birdie putt at 66.
Ricky Fowler and Jake Knapp made cuts of numbers.
Meanwhile, 12 players were separated by two shots that entered the third round. This is a group that includes Camilo Villegas, Sam Stevens and Si Woo Kim. Stevens and Kim are about to finish high enough to raise the world rankings used next week to set up an alternative list for the British Open.
