John Deere Classic Round 2: Doug Ghim Holes Out Again and Clings to a One-Shot Lead

Lightning is not supposed to strike twice. At TPC Deere Run, it apparently takes requests.

For the second straight day, Doug Ghim holed out from the fairway for eagle, this time from 179 yards at the par-4 15th, and that shot carried a 3-under 68 that keeps Ghim on top of the John Deere Classic at 12-under 130. It is the first 36-hole lead of Ghim's PGA TOUR career, six years in. It is also as thin as a lead gets: five players sit one shot back at 11-under 131, and the weekend at the Deere tends to reward whoever keeps the foot down.

The pack at 11 under reads like a cross-section of the TOUR. Defending champion Davis Thompson (63), Max Homa (68), Mexico Open winner Brian Campbell (66), Emiliano Grillo (66) and David Lipsky (67) are all one back. Camilo Villegas, Taylor Montgomery, Sam Stevens and Si Woo Kim are two back at 10 under.

Groundhog Day, With Better Results

Thursday's highlight was a 91-yard approach that dropped at the sixth. Friday's was even longer. From 179 yards at the 15th, Ghim's ball found the bottom of the cup again, and for a moment it looked like the Illinois native might pull away.

"I guess holing out two days in a row is always nice," Ghim said, per the AP.

The cushion reached two shots before the round got messy. Ghim's tee shot drifted left into the trees and down a cart path, a punch-out ran through the green, a chip came up 18 feet short, and the par putt slid by. That was the second bogey of the day, and the lead went back to one.

Ghim did not sound like someone counting trophies. "I don't feel like I'm in the lead, and I'm just happy that I get to be teeing off late tomorrow in contention," Ghim said. Given that the number here usually needs to start with a 2, that is probably the right posture.

The Defending Champ Wakes Up

If Thursday was a quiet 68 for Davis Thompson, Friday was a statement. Thompson went out in the morning and posted an 8-under 63, five shots better than his opener, and was the first player in the field to reach 11 under.

The stakes are obvious. Nobody has won the John Deere Classic in back-to-back years since Steve Stricker won three in a row from 2009 to 2011, and Thompson has put himself right in that conversation with 36 holes to go.

Homa's 18th Hole Sting

Max Homa spent most of the afternoon looking like he would take a share of the lead into the weekend. He was tied with Ghim late before the 18th bit back. Homa's tee shot found a bunker, the approach missed the green, and a 12-foot par putt stayed out. A 68 and a one-shot deficit is hardly a disaster, but it was a sour finish to a solid day.

Homa sounded like a player thinking about the long game. "You're going to have to shoot really low," Homa said, adding that the plan was to "just keep waiting until the back nine on Sunday basically."

For a player who arrived this week 122nd in the FedExCup and searching for his driver, two rounds in the 60s and a spot in the mix is real progress.

The Quiet Contenders

Brian Campbell has a habit of lurking. The Mexico Open champion, who won his first TOUR title in a playoff at Vidanta back in February (Undrafted covered it here), added a 66 to Thursday's 65 and is one back. Emiliano Grillo, a two-time TOUR winner, matched those numbers with 65 and 66. David Lipsky backed up his opening 64 with a 67.

None of them have grabbed headlines yet, which is exactly how this tournament likes it. The Deere has crowned more first-time winners than any PGA TOUR event since 1970, but it also has a way of rewarding the players who quietly stack red numbers while the cameras follow someone else.

Further back, amateur Jackson Koivun shot 64 to get to 8 under, the same number as Austin Eckroat, who followed his opening 63 with a 71. Lucas Glover also shot 64 to climb into the weekend.

A Wild Cut Line

The cut drama was a show on its own. Rikuya Hoshino and Jesper Svensson each birdied their final hole to push the line to 5 under, Paul Peterson's closing bogey dropped it back to 4 under, and then Brendan Valdes, playing in the final group, birdied the 18th from about 8 feet to shove it back to 5-under 137. Rickie Fowler and Jake Knapp made it on the number. Ben Griffin, who came in on a run of six straight top-15 finishes, was among those heading home, per CBS Sports.

The Weekend Setup

Rain in Saturday's forecast moved starting times up, so the third round will begin early. That matters on a course where soft conditions have turned the first two days into a birdie contest.

Twelve players are within two shots of the lead. Ghim has the top spot, the hole-outs and a late tee time. Thompson has the title defense and a fresh 63. Homa has his swing back. Campbell, Grillo and Lipsky have the patience. Saturday will start sorting out which of those things matters most.

Catch up on Thursday in our Round 1 recap. Full scores are 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, Golf Today. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: PGA TOUR.