Brian Harman’s Valero Texas Open performance was truly one for the ages. He opened up a dominant four-shot cushion with a dazzling 6-under 66. The 36-year-old golfer finally found a comfort level with his iron shots. He made all 8 birdie putts, with 7 coming from inside 12 feet! With that kind of play, he definitely has to be considered a favorite as he moves into the weekend.
Congrats to Harman for building such a big lead! It’s the biggest at the tournament’s halfway point since he led by five strokes at Hoylake in winning the 2023 Open Championship. It’s just his first 36-hole lead since Bay Hill last year. Harman expressed confidence in his ability to maintain his lead, stating, “Just know that I’ve done it before and that it is possible.”
Keith Mitchell is in solo second, four back of Harman. Even with that seemingly daunting challenge in front of them, Harman knows his team can expect the best from Mitchell as the tournament moves along. You go out with these huge overall advantages every now and then – and look, Keith is going to score more birdies down the stretch than you. I know, I know, look, dude, one step at a time, you know, left foot, right foot and just be patient about getting done,” he said.
In one of the most exciting arcs of the tournament, Tony Finau had a thrilling return from huge setback. Finau just wanted to get through the cut. He was one shot under the number when he registered an amazing hole-in-one on the par-3 16th hole. “I just needed one thing to go my way,” Finau said, recalling the weight of the moment.
Pro golfer Sam Ryder had to scramble his way through his round. A putter-sapping score of 74 saw him crash into a final position 11 shots behind his opening round. He felt stiffness in his neck that whole day, which culminated in a very disappointing performance. Ryder acknowledged his struggles, saying, “I could sit here and make excuses, but I just didn’t play well.” Despite this setback, he maintained a positive outlook, noting, “All in all, if you told me I was going to be in this position going into Saturday, then I would have taken it on Thursday.”
Jordan Spieth struggled big-time, too, as he tried in vain to keep pace with the leaders. He stumbled with three straight bogeys on his last three holes after being betrayed by lag chips. With the way Spieth was playing, he’s going to need to gather himself as he heads to the weekend of the tournament.
As the Valero Texas Open moves into the weekend, all eyes are on Harman. His lead is large, and he’s hellbent on making that lead a reality. The tournament is poised to bring even more thrilling action. With players such as Mitchell and Finau hell bent on keeping pace and taking home all the marbles!
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