Playing out of the late wave, World No. 660 Nick Watney tossed up a 6-under-par 33-33=66 in the second round of the Sanderson Farms Championship to reach 13-under 131, up one spot into a three-way T1. UPDATE: Watney will play out of the final pairing in R3 with fellow California native Will Zalatoris, scheduled out at 2:10 PM CT.
The 40-year-old, playing this season on a Top 50 Career Money Exemption, co-leads with Zalatoris (61) and overnight leader and rookie Sahith Theegala (67). This is his seventh career 36-hole lead/co-lead in 421 events, previously 1-for-6 converting (2012 Barclays), and first since the opposite-field Barracuda in August, 2014, where he led by 3 points (Modified Stableford) before fading to T8. On two (of 14) fairways and 16 greens in regulation, the Fresno State alum lost 0.844 strokes off-the-tee but gained 1.800 approaching, 0.404 around-the-green, and 2.349 on-the-green. He squared a lone bogey-5 at hole 9, outpaced by seven circles at 2, 3, 5, 6, 11, 12 and 15, two from between 10 and 33 feet. At the midpoint, the Las Vegas resident’s best strokes gained rankings are 2nd in SG: Putting (6.139) and 21st SG: Approach (2.400). See link below to post-round comments.