For a stretch on the inward nine at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (KLGCC), it seemed like Justin Thomas was destined not just for 59, but for 58.
With back-to-back birdies on 14 and 15, Thomas found himself at 11-under for the day with three holes remaining. Yet his long birdie putt at the 16th didn’t fall, his mid-range putts on the final two holes scared the hole but didn’t drop, and he finished with a new course record of an 11-under 61.
“I would say after I birdied 14, 15, I knew I just needed to get, I guess, two of my last three,” said Thomas following his round.
“And then, I mean, they’re all pretty easy holes. They’re all wedge holes. So it was obviously unfortunate not to get that number (59), but I’m sure I’ll have many more chances in my career.”
Despite missing out on joining the 59 club, Thomas still had a day to remember, as the 61 sets a new course and tournament course record at KLGCC, bettering the 62 shot just a day before by Scott Piercy.
The 61 matches his career-low round on TOUR, first set in the second round of the Sony Open in Hawaii in January, though his round at the CIMB Classic is two better in relation to par. Interestingly, Thomas was able to go low despite hitting just seven of 14 fairways on the day.
Only one of five 36-hole leaders or co-leaders of the CIMB Classic has gone on to win (Ben Crane/2010).
Coming off of a missed cut last week at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, Brendan Steele came into this weekwith a new, positive attitude.
“I’m trying to be really patient, and I’m trying to be really positive this week,” Steele said after a second-round 63 that put him just one shot back of Justin Thomas’ lead.
Justin Thomas looking proud with himself on route to a round of 61 to lead by a shot after two rounds of the CIMB Classic.
That positivity and patience translated into birdies and eagles in Kuala Lumpur — he made seven of the former and added an eagle at the par-5 third hole.
Despite not being known as a long hitter, Steele has played the four par-5 holes in a cumulative 7 under through two rounds.
Steele is searching for his second win on the PGA TOUR to go with his victory at the 2011 Valero Texas Open.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
It’s from the movie ‘Wedding Crashers,’ actually. I don’t know. It’s a funny movie, but I think it’s a pretty good motto.– Justin Thomas on his ‘No excuses, play like a champion’ motto
3. Scott Piercy played his first 28 holes of the tournament without a bogey, and with 15 birdies in that stretch he birdied more than half of his holes. But he cooled off on the front nine of KLGCC (his second nine), finishing with two bogeys in his last eight holes, against no birdies.
Putting continued to fuel Piercy’s round, typified by a 60-foot birdie bomb on the par-3 15th. But on the back nine, he found it tougher to find the hole. He recorded 29 putts in his second round, compared to 25 in the first. He also played the par-5 holes in even par after making birdie on all four in the first round.
Well, it’s hard to follow up 10 under anyways. So, I felt like I did pretty good,” Piercy said following his round.
- With thanks to www.pgatour.com
