Patrick Reed has too much talent to come into the PGA Tour playoffs without a victory this season.
After two rounds at the Barclays, he’s apparently ready to do something about that.
Reed made his way around Bethpage Black Friday with a 68 that took him to eight-under par after 36-holes on the difficult layout. He will go into the weekend two shots ahead of Emiliano Grillo and Rickie Fowler.
Defending FedEx Cup champion Jordan Spieth threw his hat in the ring with a second round 67 despite starting his day with a double-bogey.
Not to be forgotten is Ryan Moore, winner at the John Deere two weeks ago. He’s alone at five-under par.
But it is Reed who the field will be chasing this weekend. “”I played solid,” said Reed, who birdied three of his first four holes to start the day but bogeyed two of his final three. “I had two mental mistakes today and made bogeys.” In between those two bogeys, Reed launched a near-perfect five-iron at the par three 17th that stopped two feet from the cup for birdie. “If I can keep playing the way I am, I can keep putting pressure on the rest of the field to come get me.”
Fowler continued his solid play as he hopes to put himself in position to be on the Ryder Cup team. As of now, he’s 12th in the standings and would have to rely on a captain’s choice but after rounds of 67-69, he may be in the hunt come Sunday.
“I’m hitting the ball really well, not putting that great,” said Moore, who is the shortest hitter at the top of the leader board. “I’ve hit a lot of fairways and greens and have given myself a lot of good looks at birdie,” he said after a round of 68.
Jason Day got off to a hot start. Five birdies over his first eight holes got him to eight-under par and tied with Reed for the lead. But a pulled tee shot at the par three ninth resulted in bogey then after a poor tee shot at the 10th, he made another. He fought his driver on the back nine and would end up with a one-under par 70.
Speith had to rally for his 67. He played the back nine first and was one-over and struggling. But he got himself back on track with three birdies and an eagle at the par five fourth hole where his second shot from 192 yards out finished three feet from the hole. “I finally started smiling,” Spieth said. “I finally noticed I was angry at myself and I credit Michael (caddie Greller) for calming me down.”
Conditions were easier without a lot of wind on day two but still, the course proved difficult for most and three-over par made the cut.
Only the top 100 on the FedEx points list will move on to Boston next week.
