LA QUINTA, Cali. — Like most rookies, Davis Thompson doesn’t know everything about the PGA Tour in his first full year on the circuit. For instance, Thompson had no idea he had tied a tour record with five eagles in the first two rounds of The American Express.
“That’s pretty cool. I didn’t know,” said Thompson, who followed a two-eagle round Thursday with three eagles Friday on the Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West. “I kind of thought about that a little bit after I made the putt on seven (for his third eagle of the day). But yeah, those are always nice. Able to get two for one. It’s pretty cool to have some putts drop and make some eagles.”
Thompson’s remarkable debut in the desert tournament, tying the tournament and PGA Tour record for eagles in two rounds, propelled the 23-year-old to an 18-under total and the lead for the second straight day. The five eagles also ties a tour record for 72 holes, accomplished six previous times, with the last time by Justin Rose at the 2022 RBC Canadian Open.
AMEX: Saturday tee times
But for all the fireworks in Thompson’s 8-under 64 on Friday and his 124 total for two rounds, the rookie hasn’t been able to shake world No. 4 Jon Rahm.
Rahm also shot 64 on the Nicklaus Course on Friday, though he did it without a single eagle or bogey, to reach 16-under 126 in a tournament he won in 2018. In that year, Rahm was 15-under through the first two rounds at La Quinta and the Nicklaus Course on the way to a playoff victory over Andrew Landry.
“Five eagles through two rounds on two different courses is pretty impressive,” Rahm said of Thompson’s play. “Now I wouldn’t expect to keep it going for the weekend because those par-5s on the Stadium Course are, well, that would be some serious thing to do, 10 eagles in four rounds. But, yeah, I mean, it’s good playing.”
Former world No. 1 Jason Day, looking for his second top-10 finish of the 2022-23 season after just two the entire previous season, fired a 64 on the Stadium Course at PGA West and is tied for third at 13 under with rising star Tom Kim, Sungjae Im, Tyler Duncan and J.T. Poston. Poston at one point had the lead Friday at 13 under but played the last six holes at the Stadium Course in even par for a 66. Kim shot the day’s best round, a 62, on the Nicklaus Course with eight birdies and one eagle. Im shot 66 on the Stadium Course and Duncan shot 67.
The last time anyone on the PGA Tour made five eagles in consecutive…
..
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Golfweek…