John Mallinger equals course record, leads Frys.com Open by four strokes
Australian Nick O’Hern could not match up his first round performance and managed only an even par round of 71. However, his first round performance was equalled by John Mallinger, as he took a four-shot lead after Friday.
Mallinger shot a stunning round of 9-under 62 to not only the equal the course record but also give himself a huge chance of lifting his first title of the season.
The American shot his second consecutive bogey free round at Cordevalle. The highlight of the day came when the 33-year-old eagled the par 5 fifteenth.
John hit a 5-wood shot to perfection and he only needed to put twice to eagle the hole. Seven birdies and an eagle, things could not have been better for Mallinger, who has never won on the PGA Tour.
"Any time you get it that low everything was kind of clicking," Mallinger said. "Drove it great, irons were great, and made putts".
An eagle and two birdies on the last four holes really opened up the lead for him. His approach shots were simply sublime, as the ball landed very close to the pins. On most of the holes, he only needed a tap in for birdies.
"It is the same grass I practice on at home," Mallinger said. "I'm just real comfortable with the speed. I just have some good thoughts over the putter right now, and that's not every week. Hopefully, I can take advantage of it and keep it going into the
weekend".
Winless in seven seasons, the American feel this might be his time. The only time he has come close to winning on the tour was in 2009, when he lost to Bo Van Pelt in a playoff.
"I feel like I am close," Mallinger said. "I am not going into the weekend scared. I am going to play and compete as hard as I can".
A four-shot lead with just two rounds to go, things are looking pretty for Mallinger.
Jhonattan Vegas and Billy Horschel exchanged their first round scores, as they trail Mallinger by four shots going in to the weekend.
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