PGA Tour: Good Scoring As Weather Continues To Wreak Havoc At John Deere Classic

Good scores were in plentiful supply at day two of the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic, as continued weather delays leave the players trying to get back on schedule.

When play eventually got underway on day two of the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run on Friday, a number of players were tasked with finishing their first rounds.

The likes of Andrew Loupe, Tom Gillis and Geoff Ogilvy were all leaving their mark towards the top of the leaderboard as play was suspended on day one, having had their opening round disrupted by inclement weather.

With over three-and-a-half hours of delays on Thursday, the players and organizers could have been forgiven for thinking that it couldn’t get any worse on Friday, but they were wrong. As an event with a long history of weather troubles, perhaps they should have known better.

More from PGA

• Tiger May Play 2024 Genesis and The Players in New Schedule
• Which Cindefella Will Get His Glass Golf Spikes This Week?
• “Love Weather” Dominates at RSM Classic: Rain and Wind and Golf
• Camilo Villegas’ Second Chance on PGA Tour Blossoming
• Davis Love III, Zach Johnson Reflect on What They Learned as Ryder Cup Captains

With play originally scheduled to resume at 7am local time, it was 12pm before the players eventually got out on the course, and 1.20pm before a shot was hit in the second round.

If those who played early and got their rounds completed on day one thought they had ended up on the right side of the draw, nature had other ideas. Many of those who were originally scheduled for afternoon tee times on Friday, instead faced the prospect of waiting around for most of the day only to come out and play one or two holes before play would be suspended due to darkness.

From the weather perspective, the course was hit by 2.38 inches overnight according to PGA Tour Media. That was certainly enough to keep the greenskeepers busy at Deere Run.

When play did finally get underway a soft course meant scoring conditions were close to ideal.

A year to the day that he fell short in a playoff at this same tournament to Jordan Spieth, 48-year-old Tom Gillis was putting on a show again in Silvis.

With Gillis currently caught in something of a no man’s land, ranked 228th in the FedEx Cup rankings and 153rd in the Web.com’s The 25, a win this week would do wonders for the Michigan native’s future.

Following up an opening 64 with a second round 68, Gillis is well positioned heading into the weekend, and now in the privileged spot of having completed both of his rounds in the first two days.

Another man who will have been more than satisfied with having completed his first two rounds and in impressive fashion is Wesley Bryan.

A former trick shot artist who has received a promotion to the PGA Tour following three wins in his first 13 starts on the Web.com Tour, this week marks Bryan’s first as an official member of the big leagues.

If he keeps playing as he has been it will be a remarkably memorable debut too. Bryan followed up a first round 66, with a bogey-free 64 on Friday. That was enough for a 36 hole total of 12-under-par, and sole possession of the lead when play was suspended for the day due to darkness.

Steve Marino is also well placed, currently sitting second, having gone 66-65 for an 11-under-par total to date.

Andrew Loupe and Geoff Ogilvy may have impressed on day one, but perhaps feeling the toll of a long day of delays, both men could only manage one-under rounds of 70, slipping down the board as a result.

When Ryan Moore and Zach Johnson finished up on Thursday they would have been more than satisfied with their early position. As play wrapped on day two, the duo had managed to finish only one hole of the second round between them. Play was called for the day moments before Johnson’s tee off time.

John Deere Classic – Day 2 Scores and Leaderboard

1 Wesley Bryan – 64 (-12)

2 Steve Marino – 65 (-11)

3 Tom Gillis – 68 (-10)

4 Kyle Stanley – Thru 17 (-9)

T5 Morgan Hoffman – 67 (-8)

T5 Andrew Loupe – 70 (-8)

T5 Ben Martin – 68 (-8)

T5 Hudson Swafford – 65 (-8)

T5 Kelly Kraft – Thru 15 (-8)

Next: Olympic Golf: Marcus Fraser Leads By One At The Halfway Stage

A clear run at play without delays on Saturday would see the event comfortably return to its originally planned schedule for Sunday.