SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda — Justin Lower had another 6-under 65 without taking advantage of the par-5s on Friday, giving him a two-shot lead going into the weekend at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.
The island paradise was more like a grind in the wind and squalls of rain at Port Royal. The round did not finish before dark for the second straight day.
Lower, coming off a runner-up finish last week in Mexico, opened with three birdies in five holes and seized control with three straight birdies starting at No. 12 with a 6-foot putt. He rolled in a 20-footer from off the green at the 13th and made a sharp-breaking 15-footer on the next hole. The streak ended when his bunker shot on the 15th grazed the cup.
He just wishes he could have picked up shots on the par-5s. He was in range at the 17th, only to miss the green right. His pitch rolled out to 12 feet and missed the birdie putt.
“To not get the par-5s when they’re all kind of reachable other than No. 2 just being into the wind, that part kind of sucks,” Lower said. “It would have been nice to get one of those last two putts to go in on 17, 18, but still a great round and I’m happy where I’m at.”
He was at 12-under 130, two shots ahead of Robby Shelton (64) and Ryan Moore (65).
Lower already has his card locked up for next year after last week. A victory would get him into the Masters and the first two $20 million signature events in 2025.
Shelton and Moore are outside the top 150 in the FedEx Cup. The PGA Tour season ends next week, and the top 125 keep full status for next year.
“It’s been not very good,” Shelton said of his year, which he attributed to changing swing coaches. “But now I feel like I’m super calm this week and these last two events just going to give it all I’ve got.”
Moore was on the cusp of losing his card last year until he tied for fifth in the Bermuda Championship and tied for eighth in the season-ending RSM Classic. He’s in the same predicament this year.
“I’ve got to get out of this habit of remembering how to play golf this second-to-last week of the year, that’s not a good habit to be in out here,” Moore said. “But I hope it continues over the weekend and my game keeps kind of trending the way it’s been.”
The cut won’t be made until the second round is completed Saturday morning, but Egor Eroshenko was assured of playing the weekend, making him the first Russian to make the cut on the PGA Tour.
The biggest surprise might have been Kevin Kisner, who had a 68 and was three shots behind along with Sam Ryder (62). Kisner’s game has fallen off this year as he tries to rediscover his swing and spends time in the broadcast booth with NBC.
“It’s been a long stretch of bad golf, so it’s good to see some things go in,” Kisner said. “It’s an amazing formula — your average putts go in, your average shots work out, your good putts go in, your good shots really work out. It’s been a fun couple days seeing some good stuff.”
Ryder had 10 birdies and a clean card until a bogey on his last hole for the low round of the day. Now he joins everyone bracing for what is expected to be a rough Saturday with more wind and rain at Port Royal.