BRADENTON, Fla. — Brian Gay has finally mastered the par 5s at Concession Golf Club, finishing strong with an eagle-birdie to card a 4-under 68, which puts him in a tie for the 36-hole lead alongside Australia’s Scott Hend in the Senior PGA Championship on Friday.
Hend recorded five birdies in the last eight holes for a 65, showcasing a more traditional round with eight birdies and just one bogey.
Both players stand at 10-under 134, two strokes ahead of major champions Stewart Cink (67) and Retief Goosen (69), with Ben Crane making his senior debut alongside them after a 69.
However, Gay’s round was quite eventful. He hit a 5-iron into the bushes on the par-5 13th after beginning the second round on the back nine of Concession. He found the bushes twice while attempting to drive over the bunkers on the par-5 17th, resulting in a double bogey after lipping out.
Gay made par on the next par 5 at No. 3, but only after hitting his second shot into a palmetto bush, taking a penalty drop, and getting up-and-down. He was rewarded with an eagle on the par-5 eighth and finished with a birdie.
“Another pretty good day. A little volatile,” Gay stated. “Pretty similar to yesterday, except I mishandled a couple of par 5s. Two of them with one poor tee shot, two good tee shots, but overall, I putted well again. Just a couple of balls in the bushes.”
Hend is familiar with volatility. In the opening round, the Australian experienced an eagle followed by a double bogey, and later a birdie-double bogey on his front nine. He managed to recover with three consecutive birdies to start with a 69. His card was much cleaner on Friday.
“I was disappointed with yesterday’s two double bogeys on the back nine, so I aimed to play that nine a bit smarter and better today, avoiding the mistakes I made yesterday,” he explained. “And it seemed to work out quite well.”
Hend also benefited from playing in the morning, being the first out when the greens were in excellent condition and the wind had not yet picked up along the Gulf Coast of Florida.
Cink was just one shot off the lead until a bogey on his final hole. Goosen played bogey-free with only three birdies, one of which was on the par 5s.
Justin Hicks recorded the lowest score among the club professionals, finishing with a 69, leaving him four shots behind, alongside Steve Allan, Greg Chalmers, and Soren Kjeldsen.
Bernhard Langer, the 68-year-old German who shot his age or lower for the 43rd time in the opening round with a 66, struggled on Friday with a 76, leaving him eight shots back.
