Chez Reavie earned an impressive 19 points in the second round of the Barracuda Championship to move three clear at the top of the leaderboard in California.
The American started the second round of the Modified Stableford event on nine points after carding an eagle and two birdies on day one at Tahoe Mountain Club.
The 40-year-old wasted no time moving up the leaderboard on Friday with birdies on the 11th and 12th holes, his second and third of the second round.
He made the turn on 17 points after carding birdies on the 16th and 18th. The two-time PGA TOUR winner then moved clear of the field with an eagle on the sixth hole, worth five points, adding to three further back-nine birdies to finish the day on 28 points, three ahead of Mark Hubbard and Henrik Norlander.
“I've been driving the ball in the fairway, giving myself some good looks with the irons and hitting good iron shots and making a few putts, and it's been a good two days," said the 40-year-old.
“Yesterday we were really dialled in with our numbers with the irons, and then today when it was colder in the morning they were flying kind of ten yards shorter, 15 yards shorter sometimes with the elevation.
"Fortunately we kind of noticed that on the range and adjusted for it, and I was lucky enough to just trust the numbers, the clubs that we picked, and then as it warmed up, it kind of gradually kind of started getting closer to what it was yesterday afternoon.”
A Modified Stableford format is used at the Barracuda Championship, with players earning eight points for an albatross, five for an eagle and two for a birdie. One point is deducted from their totals for each bogey and three points for a double bogey or worse.
Nino Bertasio and Sean Crocker, two of 50 DP World Tour members who have been provided an opportunity to play in the United States this week, share eighth place on 17 points.
Bertasio, of Italy, started the day on seven points, earning ten after six birdies and two bogeys, while Crocker, playing on home soil, started the day on 12 points, earning five after four birdies and two bogeys.
“I actually felt like I played better yesterday, I just didn't make any putts," said Bertasio. "Still played solid today. Obviously got off to a slow start with a bogey on 10, but it's a tough hole.
"Then I bogeyed the last, which makes you kind of feel a little down. But still, a lot of positives. Putted a lot better today.
“It's quite tricky in the afternoon, to be honest, because the winds are up. The ball is going a long way, it's not easy out there."
Crocker, making his first appearance in a PGA TOUR event this week, said: "It was similar to yesterday, a little bit more bouncy. Definitely that afternoon breeze picks up later in the day and it gets a little tricky from time to time, but it's consistent, and you kind of know where it's going so you can play some decent shots and still score in the afternoon.
“I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited to be playing the weekend and have a chance to see what I can do. I've kind of shot myself in the foot a few times by thinking ahead, so I think we're just going to play Saturday and see how it goes and then play Sunday.”
Alex Noren and Yannik Paul are in 11th place at the halfway mark on 16 points, while Marcus Helligkilde, Scott Jamieson and James Morrison share 18th on 15 points.
