Baycurrent Classic Round 2: Keith Mitchell Rides the Japan Energy to a Share of the Lead With Jacob Bridgeman

Some players treat the trip to Japan as a chore at the end of a long season. Keith Mitchell treats it like a standing reservation.

Mitchell shot a 6-under 65 on a sunny Friday at Yokohama Country Club to tie Jacob Bridgeman for the lead at 11-under 131 through 36 holes of the Baycurrent Classic. Bridgeman, the first-round leader after a 63, ground out a 68. Two shots back at 9 under is a four-man group: Ben Kohles, who posted the low round of the day with a 9-under 62, Mac Meissner (68), Max Homa (68) and Zach Bauchou (64).

Mitchell's Happy Place

Mitchell's 65 moved him from a share of eighth into a share of the lead, and it finished the right way. A 119-yard approach into the 18th set up a closing birdie, per PGA TOUR video, and that was the shot that pulled Mitchell level with Bridgeman.

Ask Mitchell why the round came together and the answer has less to do with swing thoughts than with geography.

"I love it over here. It's always on my schedule," Mitchell said, per the AP. "I love Japan. I think just the energy here just helps me play a little bit better for some reason."

The AP noted that Mitchell credited the enthusiastic galleries at Yokohama for some of that energy. Whatever it is, it is working. Five under on Thursday, six under on Friday, and nobody in the field is ahead.

Bridgeman Grinds It Out

Thursday was the putter's day. Friday was a test of patience, and Bridgeman passed it without lighting up the board. The AP described the 68 as a grinding round in which Bridgeman played conservatively.

"Navigated it pretty good, was able to post a good number," Bridgeman said, per the AP.

That is the right read. A 68 after a 63 can feel like a step back, but Bridgeman still has a share of the 36-hole lead in the strongest field of the FedExCup Fall. Not bad for a player who said on Thursday that the game felt rusty after the Presidents Cup.

Kohles Goes Low

The round of the day came from further down the board. Kohles opened with an even-par 71 on Thursday and sat well off the pace. Friday's 62 changed all of that, a nine-shot improvement that launched Kohles into a tie for third.

It is the kind of round that rewrites a week. On Thursday, Kohles was a name in the middle of the pack. On Friday night, Kohles is two shots from the lead with 36 holes to play.

Bauchou made a similar move. The Utah first-round leader from a week ago shot 64 to climb into the same group at 9 under. Two weeks, two first pages of a leaderboard. For a rookie fighting for FedExCup position, that is the kind of run that matters.

Holding Pattern for Homa and Meissner

Homa and Meissner both opened with 65s and both followed with 68s, which keeps them right in the conversation. Neither did anything to hurt their chances, but neither could keep pace with Mitchell's charge or Kohles' fireworks.

For Homa, the Fall math matters. Players outside the top 60 of the FedExCup standings are chasing spots in the early Signature Events at Pebble Beach and Riviera, per the AP, and a big finish in Japan would do a lot of that work in one week.

The Big Names Lose Ground

Hideki Matsuyama gave the home crowd less to cheer on Friday. The 2021 champion of this event shot 1-over 72 and is at 3 under, eight shots back. Defending champion Xander Schauffele shot 69 and is also at 3 under, eight off the pace.

Michael Brennan, a winner at the Wyndham in August, followed an opening 68 with a 67 and sits at 7 under, four back. That is a quiet position, but a real one.

The Weekend Setup

There is no cut in this 72-player field, so everybody plays Saturday. What matters is how crowded the top is. Two co-leaders, four players two back, and a handful of big names who need something special to get back into the fight.

Mitchell has the momentum and a clear affection for the setting. Bridgeman has posted two good numbers in two days. Kohles has the low round and nothing to lose. Saturday at Yokohama will tell us which of those stories holds up when the leaderboard tightens.

Catch up on Thursday in our Round 1 recap. Full scoring is on the official PGA TOUR tournament page (opens in a new tab), and the TOUR's Round 2 recap (opens in a new tab) has more.

Sources: PGA TOUR (Round 2 recap and AP story on pgatour.com), AP. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: PGA TOUR.