Griffin has bogey-free spherical, leads by 3 in Napa

NAPA, Calif. — Ben Griffin went about his enterprise Friday like he was at another PGA Tour cease, even with so many Ryder Cup teammates round him. He performed bogey-free for the second straight day with a 6-under 66 to construct a three-shot lead within the Procore Championship.

Two “cup” gamers had been behind him — one in all them fellow Ryder Cup rookie Russell Henley (68), the opposite Jackson Koivun, the top-ranked beginner who went 3-1 final week at Cypress Level to assist lead the People to a Walker Cup victory.

Koivun hit a 3-iron to 30 inches for eagle on the par-5 twelfth, hit a tee shot out-of-bounds on the 14th and salvaged a bogey, bounced again with a birdie and wound up with a 66.

Henley lives in Columbus, Georgia — about 30 miles from Auburn the place Koivun enters his junior yr — and so they know one another properly.

“I bumped into Russell Henley on the vary and advised him I used to be going to catch him,” Koivun mentioned “In order that was my goal.”

They tied, three behind Griffin, who was at 14-under 130.

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J.J. Spaun, the U.S. Open champion who additionally might be at Bethpage Black, did simply sufficient proper for a 68 and was 5 pictures behind together with Lanto Griffin (70).

Silverado has 10 gamers on the American workforce, with captain Keegan Bradley checking in on all of them. The victory was getting so many U.S. gamers to compete and keep sharp, in contrast to two years in the past when so a lot of them had gone a month with out competitors earlier than the Ryder Cup.

“I would not even say my mindset’s been Ryder Cup. I have been fairly centered on this golf event,” Griffin mentioned. “Definitely off the golf course hanging out with the blokes and stuff there’s been some Ryder Cup presence, however as soon as I get on the primary tee I am pondering I am making an attempt to play properly right here.”

That half goes properly. Griffin dealt with the three par 5s on the again 9, hit an attractive tee shot to a left pin over a steep bunker on the par-3 second and in any other case endured little or no stress on a breezy morning in wine nation.

He’s one in all 4 Ryder Cup rookies, together with Henley, Spaun and Cameron Younger.

Scottie Scheffler had a couple of extra birdies than his opening spherical, simply as a lot frustration when he did not hit it the place he was aiming and settled for a ho-hum 68 that left him eight pictures behind. Scheffler hasn’t completed worse than eighth since March.

Henley performed with Scheffler and Spaun and was the primary to maneuver up the board on day for scoring till he was held again by a three-putt bogey from 45 toes on the par-4 third gap, and failing to get up-and-down from left of the inexperienced on the par-3 seventh.

However his placing has been very good, and the time spent with teammates off the course even higher.

“It is a dream come true with the ability to play on the workforce, and attending to play with two teammates this week was actually cool these first two days,” Henley mentioned. “Undoubtedly occupied with it loads, however making an attempt to ensure it is a good week of prep.”

Henley and Scheffler went 2-1 collectively on the Presidents Cup and had been grouped in follow and the weekday rounds for this event.

Spaun hasn’t felt he terribly sharp, however he mentioned he was “scraping it round” to publish a rating.

“It wasn’t nice, however it wasn’t horrible,” Spaun mentioned. “I imply, I took benefit of some actually good iron pictures and made a couple of putts exterior of three toes and known as it a day.”

Not so for Griffin.

Some two hours after he was completed, Griffin was a lone determine on the follow inexperienced on a stunning late summer season day in Napa as he labored on his placing.

“This week I am making an attempt to actually do the identical stuff I am doing,” Griffin mentioned. “I am making an attempt to remain assured, keep motivated and preserve the pedal down.”

All however one of many Ryder Cup gamers at Silverado haven’t confronted a 36-hole lower because the British Open. Sam Burns and Patrick Cantlay had been proper on the lower line once they completed and made it on the quantity to increase Ryder Cup preparations two days.