World Wide Technology Championship Round 2: Matti Schmid Goes Out in 29 and Takes Over

Thursday belonged to the 61s. Friday belonged to the guy who started on the back nine and turned it into a highlight reel.

Matti Schmid shot a 9-under 63 at El Cardonal at Diamante to reach 17-under 127 and take a one-shot lead at the World Wide Technology Championship. First-round co-leaders Nick Dunlap and Sami Valimaki each followed their 61s with 67s and sit one back at 16 under. Chad Ramey is alone in fourth at 15 under, and Ben Griffin and Victor Perez, both with 65s on Friday, are three back at 14-under 130.

Schmid's 29

Schmid went off No. 10 and did the heavy lifting early. The German played a six-hole stretch in 6 under, and the shot that defined it came at the par-5 18th, his ninth hole of the day, where Schmid rolled in a 30-foot eagle putt with roughly six feet of break, per the AP. That made the turn a 29.

The second nine was quieter. Schmid made only two birdies on the front side, both on the par 5s, and simply avoided the kind of mistake that wrecks a round on a course where the field is going low. On a leaderboard this tight, a 34 that gives nothing back is a win in itself.

The stakes for Schmid are specific. Ranked No. 70 in the FedExCup coming into the week, Schmid is not sweating the top 100. The target now is the top 60, which would earn spots in two of next year's $20 million Signature Events, according to the AP. Schmid said those events are a big deal because of the extra points on offer, and that a really good week is what it takes to get there.

Dunlap's One Bad Swing

For 15 holes, Dunlap looked like the Thursday version, maybe better. Dunlap also started on the back, went out in 30 behind three straight birdies, and at one point was a shot clear of Schmid. Then came the par-4 seventh, Dunlap's 16th hole of the day. The tee shot sailed right and out of play, and the result was a double bogey that flipped the lead.

"I just hit it right, my only bad swing off the tee all week," Dunlap said, per the AP. Dunlap closed with two pars for a 67. Even with the stumble, by Dunlap's own count, a player who came into the week ranked last on TOUR in strokes gained off the tee has made one bad swing with the driver in 36 holes. That is not nothing.

Dunlap's point about the course was blunt and fair. "This place gives you a lot of room off the tee, but if you do miss it, then you're going to pay the price for it," Dunlap said.

Valimaki Keeps the Bubble Fight Alive

Valimaki's 67 was the grittier half of the co-leaders' Friday. It lacked Thursday's fireworks, but the Finn finished strong, birdieing three of the last five holes to stay within a shot. For a player who started the week at No. 103 in the FedExCup, with the top 100 keeping full status for 2026, staying in the final groups through the weekend is the whole assignment.

Ramey is playing for the same thing, from even further back. At No. 123 coming in, Ramey needs a big finish, and a 15-under total through 36 holes, alone in fourth, is exactly the position to get one. Perez, at No. 107, is in a similar spot after a 65.

Griffin Stays Patient

Griffin has now posted back-to-back 65s, and the Ryder Cup rookie is the only player in the top six with a PGA TOUR win this season. Griffin has two. Nothing about Griffin's first two days has been flashy. All of it has been efficient, and on a course this friendly, efficient tends to keep you in the picture.

Behind the top six, the board is crowded. Trevor Cone shot 64 to reach 13 under. Carson Young, who set the El Cardonal course record last year and finished runner-up after losing a playoff, followed an opening 67 with a 65 to get to 12 under, alongside Francesco Molinari and Patrick Rodgers. U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun slid back with a 70 and sits at 7 under.

Cut Line Chaos

The cut fell at 5-under 139, and nobody earned the weekend in more dramatic fashion than Will Gordon. Gordon made a triple bogey at the par-4 13th that dropped below the line, then birdied the 14th and holed out from the fairway for eagle at the 17th. Gordon signed for a 69 and made it with two shots to spare.

Not everyone escaped. Johnny Keefer, the Korn Ferry Tour player of the year, followed an opening 66 with a 74 and missed by one.

The Weekend Setup

Three tournaments remain in the FedExCup Fall, counting this one, and the top 100 keep their cards. That turns Saturday into something more than moving day for half the names near the top. Schmid has the lead and the hot putter. Dunlap has the low round of the week and the swing that looked rebuilt for 34 holes. Valimaki has the most urgency. Griffin has the résumé.

One shot separates the top three, three shots cover the top six, and El Cardonal has given no sign it plans to fight back.

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 AP's second-round story (opens in a new tab) on PGA TOUR has more.

Sources: AP, PGA TOUR, Golf Channel, Golf Today. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: PGA TOUR.