The unheralded duo of Michael Kim and Andrew Putnam on Friday took the second-round lead at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, as Jordan Spieth and partner Ryan Palmer suffered an epic late meltdown.
Spieth and Palmer double-bogeyed the final two holes to join several other prominent teams who missed the cut on a day of carnage for big names.
Kim and Putnam, neither of whom has carded a PGA win, shot three-under 69 in the unforgiving alternate shot foursomes format.
Photo: AFP
They posted a 13-under 131 halfway total for a one-stroke edge over fellow Americans Kevin Kisner and Scott Brown.
Kim and Putnam had a double-bogey on the par-four fifth, but that was their only blemish.
“I hit it into places that Andrew had probably never seen before, but we grinded it out and pretty pleased with the score today,” Kim said.
Putnam, who arrived in the Big Easy in good form after a tie for eighth at the Texas Open last week, added: “I think we did a good job of communicating and scored really well.”
Meanwhile, Spieth and Palmer seemed to be cruising toward the weekend until it all went wrong on the final two holes.
Spieth pulled his tee shot into a water hazard at the par-three 17th, and then found water again with the pair’s second shot on the par-five 18th.
After taking a penalty stroke, Palmer then compounded the misery with a wedge shot that came up short in a bunker, where it plugged, leaving Spieth with an impossible shot that he failed to extricate from the sand.
They shot 74 for four-under 140, missing the cut by one stroke.
First round coleaders Zhang Xinjun and Dou Zecheng of China also bowed out when they followed an opening 60 in the easier four-ball format with an 80.
There were two holes-in-one on Friday. Englishman Chris Paisley used a five-iron from 221 yards at the third hole, while American Billy Hurley III used the same club from 223 yards at the 17th.
The more forgiving four ball format was to be used yesterday, before foursomes are played today.
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