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Ghim maintains one-shot lead at PGA's John Deere Classic / Photo: © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Ghim maintains one-shot lead at PGA's John Deere Classic
Doug Ghim holed out from the fairway for an eagle for the second straight day on Friday, adding three birdies in a three-under 68 to maintain a one-shot lead in the US PGA Tour John Deere Classic.
"I guess holing out two days in a row is always nice," said Ghim, who also chipped in for a birdie on the way to a 12-under total of 130 at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois.
"It's been a couple years since I think I holed out from the fairway," said Ghim -- whose 180-yard second shot at the par-four 15th found the bottom of the cup. "To get two (on) back-to-back days is great."
Ghim had teed off on 10 and opened with a birdie, but gave the stroke back with a three-putt bogey at the 12th.
He said the hole-out eagle was especially welcome at 15, "not the easiest of the holes out here".
"It just felt like a huge, huge boost so it helped me stay more patient because something good happened to me there."
Ghim, a 29-year-old hoping he can become the 25th player to claim a first tour title at this event, had five players on his heels at 11-under 131.
That included defending champion Davis Thompson, who had eight birdies in his eight-under par 63, and US veteran Max Homa -- who started the day one back and posted a three-under 68 to stay there.
Argentina's Emiliano Grillo and Americans Brian Campbell and David Lipsky were also at 11-under.
Another six players were a further stroke back on 132 going into the third round, which was rescheduled to tee off earlier because of expected evening thunderstorms.
Ghim said scoring conditions might be better thanks to the earlier start, but he thought wind could be a factor even if the storms hold off.
"The leaderboard is so bunched," he said. "(I will) just kind of keep my head down and try to birdie some par-fives and roll in a couple more 15-footers."
Former world number eight Homa was tied for the lead after rolling in a 20-foot birdie putt at the 17th, but as on Thursday he bogeyed his final hole, finding a fairway bunker off the tee at 18.
"It got really windy," said Homa, a six-time winner on the PGA Tour who has had just one top-25 finish this season. "The greens got pretty crusty. It's just nice to keep playing well.
"It's definitely the best 36 holes off the tee I've had in a while consecutively, so that's nice," he added.
Campbell shook off an early bogey to post six birdies, including four in a row on the back nine on the way to a five-under 66.
Grillo also posted a 66 and Lipsky signed for a 67.
N. Gonçalves--JDB
