Anirban Lahiri managed to stay afloat to make the cut despite a disappointing finish in the second round of the Palmetto Championship at Congaree.
Lahiri, who shot 69 in the first round, managed a 2-over 73 despite three bogeys in the last four holes, to total even par 142 and make the cut, which fell at 1-over. Lahiri, who was T-31st after the first round, dropped to T-44 in. Ridgeland, South Carolina.
Despite his start-stop-start form, Lahiri has missed more cuts than he has deserved to. But this time around, he would have heaved a sigh of relief after being inside the Top-20 at one point. He had a up-and-down day with four birdies against six bogeys. Lahiri, starting from the 10th tee, bogeyed the 13th and 14th, but immediately recovered with three birdies in a row from 15th to 17th.
Taking the turn at 1-under, he again dropped a shot on the 10th, but made. up on the third. Then came the avalanche of bogeys on the sixth, eighth and ninth. He did have a fine run of three birdies, but his iron play and approaches left him a lot of work to do to make pars, which he often missed from between 10-15 feet.
Chesson Hadley shot 5-under 66 to take a two-stroke lead over the World No. 1 Dustin Johnson. Hadley was at 11-under 131, his lowest total through 36 holes since 2016.
Brooks Koepka struggled for a second straight round and missed the cut after a 73 left him at 3 over.
Johnson, five shots behind Hadley, was tied for the lead through 17 holes, but then drove the ball into a thick, deeply rooted patch of tall grass and after taking an unplayable lie, he ended with a double-bogey for a 68 and is 9-under 133.
American Tain Lee, in just his third career PGA TOUR event, was third at 7-under after a 68. Lee had to qualify for all three of his PGA TOUR starts.
A group of six that included Harris English and South Africa's Erik van Rooyen, were five shots behind at 6-under. First-round leader Wes Roach followed his opening 64, with a 77 to fall 10 shots behind Hadley.
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