MEXICO CITY — World number two
Jon Rahm opened a two-stroke lead at the Mexico Open
on Friday, firing eight birdies in five-under-par 66 for a 36-hole total of
12-under 130 at Vidanta Vallarta.
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The Spanish star, the highest-ranked player in the
field of the long-established event that is part of the
US PGA Tour for the
first time this year, steered a steady course in more difficult conditions to
break free atop the leaderboard after sharing the overnight lead with five
others.
“Today was a bit more of a grind, but still a really
good round of golf,” said Rahm, who had a two-shot lead over American Alex
Smalley.
Smalley had an eagle and five birdies in his
five-under-par 66 for 132. He was one stroke in front of
Americans Adam Long,
Andrew Novak, Cameron Champ, Patrick Reed, Trey Mullinax, and Brandon Hagy.
Former Masters champion Reed, Long, and Champ all
carded five-under-par 66s. Novak and Hagy signed for 67s and Mullinax shot 69.
Rahm rolled in a 28-foot birdie putt at the first
hole, but promptly gave a shot back with a bogey at the second. After birdies
at the third and sixth his “perfect” six-iron at the ninth left him a three and
a half-foot birdie putt that saw him make the turn at 10-under.
“I think my iron game was really, really good
today,” Rahm said. “It was really under control and in those windy conditions I
was hitting it really, really solid so, I was never really too surprised where
my ball was ending up and I was always in a good position.
“That’s probably why I had so many birdie looks out
there today.”
After a bogey at the 10th, Rahm rolled in a 14-foot
birdie at the 12th, a three-footer at 14, and an eight-foot birdie at the 15th.
He followed his third bogey of the day at 16 with a par save from a greenside
bunker at the par-three 17th and a six-foot birdie at the 18th.
“I can’t really complain about anything I’m doing
right now, so hopefully I can keep that good ball-striking going and keep
rolling it the way I have,” said Rahm, who is seeking his first title since he
won his maiden major at the US Open at Torrey Pines last year.
Smalley, a 25-year-old in search of his first US PGA
Tour title, eagled the par-four third and picked up three birdies on the front
nine to make the turn five-under.
He had two bogeys and two birdies on the back nine,
played in increasingly challenging wind.
“It was hard, it certainly was,” Smalley said. “I
was able to keep the ball in play and was able to get out of those holes that
were playing really long, and happy I’m done with them.”
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