Kevin Na moved up the leaderboard and provided plenty of highlight reel moments at TPC Deere Run Friday. Na closed his front nine—he started on the 10th tee—with two straight birdies at 17 and 18 to go out in two-under 34.
After making his third and fourth consecutive birdies at 1 and 2, Na was making a serious charge up the leaderboard. He settled down with two straight pars at 3 and 4 before the fireworks began on number five.
Na found the fairway with his tee shot and had 155 yards in at the 426-yard par 4. His approach shot appeared to be heading long and left of the tucked pin, which would’ve made getting up and down for par unlikely. Na dropped his club in disgust, but the shot landed on the left edge of the green and trickled down the slope to settle about five feet left of the cup.
Na converted the birdie chance and laughed it off walking off the green, but not before caddie Kenny Harms playfully asked Na if he had ever played this course before.
Na somehow managed to top that moment on the very next hole. After his approach shot finished just off the green, Na drew a difficult lie, as his ball rested with the back of the ball leaning against the longer rough.
Na wasn’t fazed however, as he turned over his putter and used the toe to allow the ball to come out cleanly. The putt rolled dead on line and dropped dead center as Na gave the crowd a fist pump in celebration.
Na closed with a bogey on the ninth but posted a 66 to move up to nine under for the week. He currently sits in a tie for sixth, three shots behind leader Sebastian Munoz.
Munoz followed his Thursday 63 with another good round Friday, he made four birdies on the front nine—he also started on the 10th tee— to go out in 35 but made nine straight pars on the back nine as his putter cooled off on the second side.
“It's never easy showing up the day after you shoot 8-under and you see how it goes. I thought I had a good start. Putter went a little cold on the back but happy where I am and positive the way I hit the ball,” Munoz said.
Hometown hero Zach Johnson had a roller coaster second round after shooting 68 Thursday. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa native made three birdies and a bogey on his opening nine. He added four more birdies coming home but also made three bogeys as it all added up to another 68.
Johnson is looking for his second title to go with six other top-10 finishes at TPC Deere Run, and he’s gotten himself in contention heading into the weekend. While he remains six shots behind Munoz, Johnson is keeping a positive mindset.
“You never know. I've been leading by a lot and lost and I've been way back and won. The beauty of it is I've got 36 more holes of trying to climb the board. And I know the golf course. I don't feel like I've had my best yet at all. It's time for that to surface,” Johnson said.
