Charles Schwab Challenge Round 2: Ben Griffin and Matti Schmid Trade 63s for a Share of the Lead

Two 63s, one tie at the top, and a Friday at Colonial that flipped the whole storyline on its head.

Ben Griffin and Matti Schmid each shot 7-under 63 in the second round of the Charles Schwab Challenge to share the lead at 11-under 129. First-round leader John Pak is two back at 9 under, Chris Gotterup is alone at 8 under, and Rickie Fowler roared into contention with a 64. The biggest name in the field went the other way. Scottie Scheffler shot 1-over 71 and made the cut with one shot to spare, 10 behind.

Griffin Plays Like a Winner

A month ago, Griffin won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside Andrew Novak. On Friday he looked like someone who believes the next one is coming soon.

Griffin started on the back nine and turned in 32, then caught fire on the front with three straight birdies and one more at the 9th to close. He made eight birdies against a single bogey, and seven of those birdies came from inside 10 feet, the mark of a player whose irons were dialed. The save that kept the round humming was a 12-foot par putt from the fringe.

"It's definitely been a breakthrough year, but I think there's more to come," Griffin said, per the AP.

He also talked about how the team win in New Orleans changed his mindset, saying it has freed him up to feel more aggressive and play to win. The results back that up. Griffin, 29, has already matched last season's career-best total of five top-10 finishes, and the year is not even half over.

Schmid's Putter Is on Fire

Schmid's 63 was cleaner still. The 27-year-old German went bogey-free with seven birdies, and the putter did a lot of the heavy lifting. CBS Sports had Schmid first in the field in strokes gained putting through two rounds.

The bigger picture is the run Schmid is on. After a double bogey at the par-4 12th on Thursday, Schmid has played 24 straight holes without a bogey and made 10 birdies in that stretch. This is Schmid's 79th start on TOUR, and the first win has not come yet. A 36-hole share of the lead at Colonial is about as good a chance as any.

Pak Hangs In, Gotterup Lurks

Pak did not fold after his Thursday 63. He got as low as 10 under before back-to-back bogeys knocked him back, then steadied himself and dropped a 13-footer for birdie at the par-4 18th to sign for 68. Two back with 36 to play is a strong spot for a rookie with one career top-25.

Gotterup quietly built one of the best two-day totals in the field. His bogey-free 65 moved the 25-year-old to 8 under. Gotterup was not in the PGA Championship field and spent that week at home on the couch, then made the drive down to Fort Worth. A big finish here could earn a spot in the Memorial, a $20 million Signature Event.

Ryo Hisatsune (67) and Akshay Bhatia (66) are tied at 7 under. Tommy Fleetwood, J.J. Spaun, Emiliano Grillo, Doug Ghim and Brice Garnett headline the group at 6 under.

Rickie Finds a Gear

Fowler joined that 6-under crowd with a 64, and he did it in a hurry. Starting on the back nine, Fowler turned in 29 and then played the front in even par. A hot putter, per CBS Sports, did most of the damage.

This is a player who has slipped to No. 127 in the world after sitting inside the top 25 as recently as early 2024. Fowler has one win since 2019, the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic, and missed the cut at the PGA Championship last week after a strong showing at the Truist Championship.

"It's definitely coming around," Fowler said. He added that his body is starting to feel better and that the game is not far off.

Scheffler Survives

For Scheffler, Friday was a grind. Chasing a third straight win, the world No. 1 shot 37 on his first nine, the back side, and never found the rhythm that carried him through May. His longest made putt of the day was a 6-footer, per CBS Sports. At 1-under 139, he made the cut with a shot to spare and extended his streak of made cuts to 55, second only to Xander Schauffele's 64.

Both of his playing partners went home. Defending champion Davis Riley shot 69 and Daniel Berger shot 70, finishing at 2-over 142, even after Berger holed an 83-footer for birdie at the par-3 4th. Jordan Spieth made it right on the number at even par after birdieing the 17th, two holes after he threw a club in frustration and covered his face when a par putt lipped out. The cut fell at even par, and 79 players advanced.

Weekend Stakes

The leaders tee off Saturday at 11 under, with Pak, Gotterup and a cluster of hungry names within five. Griffin has already proved he can close with a partner. Schmid is rolling it as well as anyone on the property. And Scheffler, 10 back, needs Saturday to look nothing like Friday. The weekend at Hogan's Alley starts with a two-man race at the top and plenty of traffic behind it.

Catch up on Thursday in our Round 1 recap. Full scoring is on the official PGA TOUR leaderboard (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 leaderboard), AP, CBS Sports. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: PGA TOUR.