Lee Hodges will head to the weekend with a four-stroke lead at the 3M Open after play was suspended due to darkness late Friday in Blaine, Minn.
Hodges, who led by one after the first round, played late into the evening at TPC Twin Cities following a weather delay in the afternoon. He made four of his seven birdies over the final six holes to post a 7-under-par 64 and reach 15-under 127 — remaining bogey-free through 36 holes.
Play was suspended for the night at 8:53 p.m. local time with six players still on the course. The second round will resume Saturday morning before the start of the third.
Hodges, 28, missed three of his past four cuts heading into Minnesota. Now he is not only making the cut, but he is in prime position to win his first PGA Tour title.
Hodges was No. 74 in the FedEx Cup points standings entering this week and needs to crack the top 70 to qualify for the playoffs.
“We’re 70-something on the points list, like what do we have to lose, you know?” Hodges said. “We’ve committed to every shot we’ve hit so far, which has been great. We’ll continue to do it, because what do we have to lose.”
Tyler Duncan is alone in second place at 11 under after shooting a second-round 67, with four birdies and no bogeys.
Duncan said of his consecutive strong rounds, “You never know when it’s coming, but I’ve been putting in the work and you always hope it shows up. But it doesn’t always show up when you want it to, and happy to be here right now.”
Behind him, defending champion Tony Finau is part of a four-way tie for third at 10 under after turning in his second straight round of 66.
Finau overcame three bogeys — including two in his first three holes — by sinking eight birdies. His approach at the par-4 ninth hole came up 4 inches shy of falling for an eagle.
“The golf course is yielding birdies,” Finau said. “I have to limit the mistakes, I think, on the weekend. I made probably a couple too many these first couple days, but if I can do that, I think I’ll have a shot.”
Tied with Finau are J.T. Poston (second-round 66), Kevin Streelman (68) and Brandt Snedeker (68). David Lipsky fired a 7-under 64 to get to 9 under, tied for seventh with Billy Horschel (67) and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo (68).
Hideki Matsuyama posted a 70 to drop back into a tie for 10th at 8 under with Keith Mitchell (66) and J.J. Spaun (68).
The cut line is projected to be 4 under par, and Justin Thomas is on the wrong side of it again. After posting an even-par 71 on Friday, Thomas figures to miss the cut after going 2 under for the event. He is trying to avoid missing the FedEx Cup playoffs but is now projected to drop from 75th in points to 79th.
Other notables likely to miss the cut are Sahith Theegala (3 under), Cameron Young (2 under), Joel Dahmen (2 under) and Sungjae Im of South Korea (1 under).
–Field Level Media
