Los Angeles - Canada’s Taylor Pendrith fired a bogey-free eight-under par 64 to share the lead with American Taylor Moore after Friday's second round of the US PGA Tour Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Pendrith, chasing his first PGA title, and Moore, who won his first tour crown in March, stood on 13-under 131 after 36 holes at Detroit Golf Club.
World number 127 Pendrith has only managed one top-10 effort this season, a share of seventh at Pebble Beach, but is bogey-free so far.
"I played very solid, no bogeys again today, which was great," he said. "Hit a lot of really good wedge shots on my front nine. Back nine was a little bit more of a grind, but putter kept me in it.
"All in all, super happy and excited for the weekend."
Moore, ranked 51st, was sixth at last year's event and on Thursday shared the 18-hole lead for the first time in any PGA event with an opening 64.
"I got off to a good start, felt like I got into a pretty good rhythm," Moore said. "Saw some putts go in and was pleased about that. Feeling good for the weekend."
Swedish rookie Ludvig Aberg and Rickie Fowler shared third on 132 with two-time major winner Collin Morikawa, fellow Americans Adam Schenk and Justin Lower and England's Aaron Rai sharing fifth on 133.
Pendrith was a runner-up last year at Detroit.
"Learned a lot from last year, got to play aggressive," Pendrith said. "There's still tons of birdies out there, so just stay aggressive and keep making birdies."
Pendrith began with a birdie at 10 after putting his approach just outside three feet, then sank a 31-foot birdie putt at the 12th and reeled off three birdies in a row starting with an 18-foot birdie putt at the par-3 15th.
His approach landed inches from the hole at 16 and he sank a five-foot birdie putts at the par-5 17th and par-4 first.
Pendrith added back-to-back birdies from just inside 18 feet at three and 22 feet at the par-5 fourth to grab a share of the lead at 13-under.
Moore won his first tour title at the Valspar Championship in March but has missed three cuts since finishing 72nd in May at the PGA Championship.
Moore began his round with a birdie at the 10th hole, made bogey at 16 and answered with birdie putts at the next three holes, including a 21-footer at 18 and a 16-footer at the first.
He added birdies at the third and the par-5 fourth and seventh before stumbling with a bogey at the eighth after finding a fairway bunker.
Defending champion Tony Finau shot 71 to stand on 143 and miss the cut.
AFP