Pat Perez surges into clubhouse lead in Wells Fargo Championship
Pat Perez carded a score of 12-under-par to surge into clubhouse lead in the second round of the $6.5-million Wells Fargo Championship, which is taking place at the par-72 Quail Hallow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The 35-year-old from Phoenix teed-off from the front and reeled nine birdies against two bogeys to compile a score of 7-under-par, 65. He bogeyed the opening hole on the front, giving an impression that he would not last in the lead
for long, but then he birdied the par-3 second hole and proved the impression wrong. This is the second time he has birdied the second hole in the tournament.
The birdie left him at par, which was a positive sign, but that was only the start. The player analysed the conditions of the greens early morning and after a gap of four holes, fired two back-to-back birdies starting from the eighth.
This helped him step into the second half at ease with a score of 2-under par, while the rest of the field was facing the pressure.
Making use of the edge, Perez birdied the opening hole at the back with a beautiful drive and made ground for surging into lead. However, on the immediate hole, Perez missed the fairway and was forced to wedge from a bunker, which
ultimately left him with a bogey.
Ready to get over the loss, Perez marched towards the par-3, 13th and birdied it from ten feet. The crowd remained quiet at the shot, which they took as another fluke. However, they were compelled to clap as Perez proceeded
towards the next green and hole it for a birdie. It didn't end there, as the crowd could not stop clapping for the next three holes for the number of birdies he carded.
When asked to comment on his game, Perez said, “Yeah, it was nice. I was not really comfortable this morning. I was not really comfortable all day. I did not hit it as good as the score would say. I made some putts. I really putted
well. But you know, I hit some good shots, and it was just kind of a weird day, actually.”
The native of Phoenix, whose last victory came at 2009 Bob Hope Classic, walked towards the clubhouse as the leader, followed by Bill Haas who had a 70, and Jonathan Byrd who wrapped the day with a 68.
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