Perfect off the tee, Jim Furyk goes low to take clubhouse lead

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Longtime local resident Jim Furyk, who knows a thing or two about going low, produced his tournament career-low score Friday morning in the second round of THE PLAYERS Championship. Furyk’s 8-under 64 is his lowest score in 80 rounds at THE PLAYERS and left him as the clubhouse leader at 9 under after the morning wave of players finished their rounds. He hit all 14 fairways for the 43rd time in his PGA TOUR career. Kevin Kisner’s second-consecutive 68 and Jason Day’s 66 left them each at 8 under through 36 holes. Furyk is making his 23rd appearance at THE PLAYERS but he didn’t qualify for this event until a tie for ninth at The Honda Classic two weeks ago moved him high enough up the FedExCup points list to make the 144-man field. Until then, he was planning for this week to be an off-week. “A couple players told me there in the locker room that I may get in the field, and I was excited, did my homework, and realized that there was a good chance,â€� said Furyk, who has the only round of 58 in PGA TOUR history and also is one of nine players to shoot 59. “I prepared last week a lot like I was in, and thankful for that opportunity, was able to take advantage of it the last couple days.â€� Furyk, who has lived in the area for 23 years, said he remembers shooting 64 in a non-competition round. “I’m not sure I’ve gotten any lower than that,â€� Furyk said. “Not by memory, put it that way. I think I’d remember a 62 if I shot it.â€� Furyk finished solo second at THE PLAYERS in 2014, his best finish at this event. A year later, Kisner lost in a playoff against Rickie Fowler. And in 2016, Day won THE PLAYERS by four strokes. All three will now have late tee times for Saturday’s third round. First-round co-leader Keegan Bradley fell back after a 1-over 73. The other co-leader, Tommy Fleetwood, had an afternoon tee time.

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