Cook grabs 2nd round lead at RSM Classic

Austin Cook, a PGA Tour rookie, fired an 8-under-par 62 in the second round of the RSM Classic in St. Simons Island, Ga., to grab a one-shot lead heading into Saturday’s third round.

Cook holed a 6-foot birdie putt on his final hole and has yet to have a bogey after 36 holes. His two-round total of 14-under-par 128 leaves him one shot ahead of Brian Gay, who had a 64 Friday.

Both Cook and Gay played the Seaside Course at Sea Island Golf Club.

C.T. Pan of Taiwan shot a 65 on the Plantation Course, leaving him tied for third with first-round leader Chris Kirk, who had a 70 on the Seaside Course, and Vaughn Taylor (66). They stand at 133, five strokes off the lead.

Cook had the low round of the tournament so far, collecting four straight birdies on his opening nine holes.

Bubba Watson shot a 71 at Plantation on Thursday, but bounced back with a 64 on Friday. Even though he had a double bogey in his second round, Watson moved up to a tie for 12th, seven shots off the lead.

Watson, a two-time Masters champion who tied for 51st two weeks ago in Las Vegas, had a poor 2016-17 season. He finished a 113th on the PGA Tour’s FedExCup points list, failed to win a tournament and missed the cut in three of the four major championships.

He is trying to turn it around this season. Friday, Watson had eight birdies to put him in contention.

“I had no idea until I signed my scorecard that I made eight 3s,” he said, according to the Florida Times-Union. “I thought I played good (Thursday) and I felt great making a birdie on the last hole. Then I birdied the first two today and it pushed me in the right direction.”

The one problem was a double-bogey 6 at No. 14, but he needed only 23 putts to complete his round. Five of his birdies came on putts of 10 feet or less.

“I felt like Jordan Spieth out there,” he said.

Brandt Snedeker, making his first start in five months because of a sternum injury, shot a 67 on the Plantation course and is six strokes behind.

Jason Kokrak, who was tied for third, two strokes off the lead after an opening-round 65, shot 76 on Friday and missed the cut.