Rocket Mortgage Classic 2022 Leaderboard: Taylor Pendrith pushes ahead into Detroit GC

The two men commanding a partial lead after the first round separated themselves from the group on Friday at the 2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic. While both Taylor Pendrith and Tony Finau had strong second sets, it was the Canadian who was able to overtake last week’s 3M Open winner by a single stroke by a margin. 7 under 65 on Friday.

Sitting in 15th at half-way, Pendrith’s lead over Finau may be just one stroke, but it’s three strokes ahead of Lee Hodges, who currently occupies third place in the standings. While the difference between the top two men and the court can be significant, it is not insurmountable over the course of 36 holes.

Finau is not only trying to hunt down the 31-year-old rookie, but also big names such as the current PGA Tour Player of the Year Patrick Cantlay and rookie candidates of the year Cameron Young and Sahith Theegala. The young keeper will be looking to score their first wins of the 2021-22 season while PGA Tour veterans Adam Scott, Stewart Cink and Zach Johnson hope to catch the lightning in a bottle and search the way to the proverbial fountain of youth.

With a trophy, FedEx Cup points and future exemptions, the game is sure to heat up this weekend at Detroit Golf Club.

Leader

1. Taylor Pendrith (-15): Long on tee, his wedge dexterity and on-court ability best describe Pendrith’s first 36 holes around Detroit GC. Converting birdie’s chances on nearly half of the holes he’s played, Pendrith has only hit two bogeys so far.

The feat is all the more impressive considering this is only Pendrith’s third game since returning from a rib injury that sidelined him since the Players Championship. He has consistently finished top 15 on his return to action and is now in the perfect position to break through for his first win on the PGA Tour.

Pendrith is fourth in both tee and approach strokes, and second in the field for putts. As for how deadly a combination can be on the golf course, Pendrith has experienced moments of less prominence around the turf area and possibly an area where nerves arise at the end of the course. week.

Other candidates

2. Tony Finau (-14)

3. Lee Hodges (-12)

T4. Cameron Young, Russell Henley, Stewart Cink (-10)

T7. Patrick Cantlay, Adam Scott, Sahith Theegala, Stephan Jaeger, Si Woo Kim, Scott Stallings (-9)

Pendrith and Finau have developed some breathing room, but if they get ahead or even stay put, there will be some quality players ready to strike and make the most of their Day of Motion. While the three rookies (Hodges, Young and Theegala) possess the firepower needed to catch up with their 2021 classmate, Scott’s veteran presence on the leaderboards is a welcome sight because of the facility. His last victory came almost a year ago at the Wyndham Championship.

“You know, the experience is one of the few things I definitely get for me every week here, so I should use it to my advantage,” Scott said. “If I really find myself in a position over the weekend or I’m in contention for an upcoming stressful day, I definitely feel I could have an advantage. I’ve been in that position a lot and I feel comfortable. roof there, and I hope to be in that position.”

The rookie of the year race is heating up

It’s been quite a while since the PGA Tour went through the eye-catching Rookie of the Year competition. With the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris having won the title in recent years, this year’s season is most likely to take place this weekend. As it stands, it’s fair to assume Cameron Young has a slight edge over Sahith Theegala, but that could all change on Sunday.

Young has played with impressive consistency through the 2021-22 season and has won six podium finishes, including a runner-up finish against Cameron Smith at The Open. Meanwhile, Theegala only had one pair, but arguably had more chances to win as he squandered his lead on the 71st hole of the WM Phoenix Open and the 72nd hole of the Travelers Championship.

“It wasn’t really a goal that I had or even now I’m so close that I feel like I need to achieve or whatever,” Theegala said of the Rookie of the Year award. “It’s just people like Davis [Riley]Mito [Pereira]. I mean, so far, Cam Young is the leader right now in my opinion and deserves more right now. If I happen to have had a great couple of weeks here and in the Playoffs, maybe that could change, but like I said, I think Cam is 9 or 10 off today. Yeah, he’s a talent. And I think he deserves it. “

Another day, another ace

Bow your head, Mr. Sabbatini. The Olympic silver medalist has followed in Mark Hubbard’s footsteps since Thursday and connected remotely with an ace on par-3 15. Although he didn’t know it at the time, the player holed in a The 46-year-old proved to be an important difference-maker to his weekend aspirations, as he finished in bottom 3 after 36 holes and right in the cut.

2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic updated odds and selections

• Tony Finau: 8/5
• Taylor Pendrith: 9/4
• Cameron Young: 11-1
• Patrick Cantlay: 12-1
• Lee Hodges: 14-1
• Russell Henley: 18-1
• Adam Scott: 25-1
• Sahith Theegala: 28-1
• Scott Stallings: 35-1
• Si Woo Kim: 35-1
• Stewart Cink: 40-1

If you count on Henley converting important putts, he could be your man for the last 36 holes, as he leads the court on tee-to-green shots. Unfortunately, the University of Georgia product also found his name outside the top 100 in hit hits and has struggled to strike a deal looking back at his performance at the Wyndham Championship last year. last year and the Sony Open in January. It’s fairer if Henley isn’t your cup of tea, but if it weren’t for him, it’s safe to assume this tournament would turn into a two-horse race between Finau and Pendrith.