KAPALUA, Maui >> Three years ago the wind was so strong at the Plantation Course you couldn’t keep a hat nailed to your head.
Not so during Friday’s second round of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, where the conditions on West Maui were so benign only three golfers shot over par.
So far, nobody has kept his head better than world No. 1 Jordan Spieth, who opened a can of catch me if you can with a blistering 9-under 64 for a two-day total of 130. In the process, he built a four-shot lead over current FedEx Cup leader Kevin Kisner (65—134), Fabian Gomez (66—134) and playing partner Patrick Reed (69—134).
For a while it appeared Spieth might track down Ernie Els’ phenomenal 36-hole tournament record of 129 that he shot in similar conditions back in 2003. If the weather holds over the weekend, Els’ 31-under 261 might be within reach of Spieth.
“Well, sure — well for 16 through 2, I guess we’re capable of doing 32, right? Carry the one, yeah, that’s right,” Spieth said, then smiled.
“I don’t know. I don’t know what the forecast calls for. If it’s similar, then I guess it’s possible. But that’s asking a lot. That’s asking — I was wondering if anyone’s gotten to 30 under in a tour event before. That’s pretty low. So, I mean it would be a great goal to try to achieve and I think if I got there, it would make for a stress-free finish. Very likely.”
Kisner was the first golfer in at 12 under and will be paired with Spieth today. If you don’t know much about the 31-year-old from Aiken, S.C., don’t feel too bad. He managed his first win late last year at the RSM Classic and had a second at the World Golf Championship-HSBC Champions in China.
The confident Southerner leads the FedEx Cup chase by a dozen points over Russell Knox and figures to have some fun today paired with Spieth.
“What is Jordan at?” Kisner responded when asked what it would take to win. Spieth was 15 under at the time. “So, he’ll probably shoot another 15, so I better get going tomorrow. The way he plays. I don’t know. We’ll just make a bunch of birdies and see what happens.”
Spieth is looking forward to the pairing as well.
“Yeah, Kiz is a lot of fun,” Spieth said. “I’ve been around him quite a bit toward the end of last year. I was really pumped to see him get that win in Sea Island. He was obviously knocking on the door with four or five second-places in a four- or five-month stretch.
“He’s fun. He’s going to give me crap, which is what he has always done. I run into Kiz most of the time in the workout trailer. He’s in there all the time. And he brings out the good conversations that are had in there.”
Gomez and Reed are also in the mix. Reed, who led after the first round with a 65, followed it up with a steady 69 that leaves him in the neighborhood. Much like Thursday, he got off to a slow start on the front with a 1-under 35, but finally got it going somewhat on the flip nine.
“I felt like I didn’t quite hit the ball solid like I needed to, and because of that, even though I was hitting a lot of greens, I wasn’t hitting it as close as Thursday,” Reed said. “So I had some longer putts and unfortunately, today I didn’t really roll many in and didn’t have any kick-in birdies.
“But, any time you can be 12 under through two rounds, within shouting distance of the lead, you have to take it and just go on to tomorrow. So if I can just have some of those lengthy putts go in and make some short birdie putts, that’s all can I ask for.”
