NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. — Pierceson Coody followed an opening 11-under 61 with a 67 on Friday to take a two-stroke lead in the ISCO Championship, with the weekend cut a PGA Tour-record 8-under par.
Coody, the 24-year-old grandson of 1971 Masters champion Charles Coody, birdied three of his final five holes in his afternoon round to get to 16-under 128 on Keene Trace’s Champions Course.
“It wasn’t quite 61, but 67’s still a really nice score,” Coody said. “I definitely could have made a couple more 6-to-8-foot putts. Left a couple out there, but bounced back in a lot of really good ways and kept my round going.”
The Texan is winless in 26 career starts on the PGA Tour. He has three victories on the developmental Korn Ferry Tour, and was asked what he learned from that success.
“That I’m good enough, that I can do it out here, I can play golf for a living,” Coody responded. “I’m going to take that mindset the next two days knowing that I’ve proven myself. However things shake down, I’m going to be happy with the result because I’m going to try my best on every shot.”
Chez Reavie had a 62 to join Matthis Besard (63) of Belgium and Rico Hoey (66) of the Philippines at 14 under in the tournament co-sanctioned by the European tour.
The 42-year-old Reavie is a three-time winner on the PGA Tour.
“I love playing with young guys,” Reavie said. “It feels like it keeps me young a little bit. And watching them hit it so far, obviously I can’t do that, but I enjoy being around them. They’ve got great energy and it’s fun to watch them play.”
Hayden Springer (67) was three strokes back at 13 under with Alex Smalley (64), Garrick Higgo (64), Angel Hidalgo Portillo (66), Johannes Veerman (65) and Andy Sullivan (66). Last week in the John Deere Classic, Springer opened with a 59 and tied for seventh.
Luke Clanton, the Florida State sophomore who tied for second in the John Deere to become the first amateur since 1958 to finish in the top 10 in consecutive PGA Tour-sanctioned starts, was tied for 31st at 9 under after a bogey-free 65. He birdied four of his final five holes.
Sixty-seven players advanced to the weekend, with the 8-under cut the lowest in the tour’s records that date to 1970. The previous mark was 7 under at the 2020 Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas.