Lucas Glover has compiled 14 birdies and no bogeys over the first two rounds to take a two-stroke lead midway through the John Deere Classic on Friday in Silvis, Ill.
Glover, who had not shot a round on the PGA Tour lower than 67 this year, put together his two best rounds of the season to take the sole lead after 36 holes. He followed an opening 63 with a 6-under 65 on Friday to get to 14-under 128.
He leads Lee Hodges (66) by two and Zac Blair (68) by three.
“It’s just golf, so rest up and get ready for tomorrow,” Glover said. “It’s going to be more of the same. Scores are going to be low. A lot of hungry kids out there wanting to play well, so we’ll do our best.”
Glover, 46, enjoyed a resurgence in the second half of his career when he won the 2021 John Deere and back-to-back tournaments in 2023, including a playoff event. Those titles accounted for half of his six PGA Tour victories.
“I mean, this is my 23rd year. There’s nothing I hadn’t been there, done that, to be fair,” Glover said. “I’ve played in the last groups and played great, and I’ve played in the last groups and played terrible.
“There’s no formula other than hydrate and rest and keep the pedal down this week, because it’s not going to be able to hang on. There’s going to be birdies and eagles. It’s going to be fun.”
Hodges spaced six birdies and one bogey across his card after opening with a 64. The 31-year-old is three years removed from his lone PGA Tour triumph and counts among those “hungry kids” aiming to catch Glover.
“I putted super, super well. Probably the best single day of putting I’ve had on tour,” said Hodges, who made birdie putts from 40 and 27 feet before a 16-footer on his penultimate hole. “I can’t remember a better one. It bailed me out a couple of times.”
Blair might be able to relate. After consecutive birdie putts from 14 and 13 feet at Nos. 5-6, he holed a 22-footer at No. 14 for his third birdie and then finished even stronger with the flatstick.
He bombed in a right-to-left 57-footer for birdie at the par-3 16th, added a 10 1/2-foot birdie at the par-5 17th and saved par from 16 feet to hold onto third place.
The 35-year-old is hunting for his first PGA Tour victory and said his mindset on the weekend will be more of the same.
“Just get a bunch of looks and hopefully the putter stays kind of hot, and you make a few and you make it pretty easy on yourself,” he said.
Tied for fourth at 10 under are Jackson Suber (64), Tyler Duncan (66), Troy Merritt (66), David Lipsky (65), Ben Kohles (67) and Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune (65). Max Homa posted a 66 and is alone in 10th place at 9 under.
The low round of the day belonged to Eric Cole, who shot an 8-under 63 — 13 shots better than his first round — to get to 3 under. That was enough for him to rally and make the cut on the number. Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth and Keegan Bradley all shot rounds of 69 to squeak into the weekend at 3 under as well.
–Field Level Media
