Aaron Rai shot a 4-under 67 to lead the Myrtle Beach Classic by one over Brandt Snedeker and Mark Hubbard entering the weekend.
Aaron Rai is halfway to another PGA TOUR win after taking control of the Myrtle Beach Classic with a steady 4-under 67 on Friday at Dunes Golf and Beach Club.
Rai moved to 10-under for the tournament, one shot clear of Brandt Snedeker and Mark Hubbard, with the weekend now carrying both trophy and PGA Championship implications.
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Rai, ranked No. 42 in the world, is the only top-50 player in the field. He already has a spot in next week’s PGA Championship, but that hasn’t changed his approach.
He handled the tougher Friday setup with patience, then made four birdies on the back nine to separate himself late.
Playing alongside Brooks Koepka and Davis Thompson also brought a bigger-event feel to an opposite-field stop.
Koepka, a five-time major champion, shot 70 and sits six shots behind Rai after a costly bogey on the par-5 fifth, where he found trouble from the trees and then the water.
Snedeker, the U.S. Presidents Cup captain, kept himself right in the chase with a clean 66.
At 45, he’s leaning into a course that doesn’t simply reward power, and he now has a chance to play his way into next week’s PGA Championship if he can win.
Hubbard matched Rai’s 67 in a much different fashion. He overcame early mistakes and caught fire around the turn with four straight birdies.
Oddly enough, he has yet to birdie a par 5 this week, but he’s made six birdies on par 3s.
The cut landed at even par, sending home several players already headed to the PGA Championship. Rai, though, isn’t treating his ranking like a safety net.
With 36 holes left, he’s got the lead, momentum and a field full of players still close enough to make this interesting.