Ken Duke followed a torrid front nine with a relatively uneventful last nine holes to take a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the Dominion Energy Charity Classic on Saturday in Richmond, Va.
Duke carded a 6-under-par 66 at the Country Club of Virginia to move to 9-under 135, one shot better than Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez, who fired a 5-under 67.
South African Retief Goosen, who led after the first round with a 66, posted a 71 and is tied for third at 7 under with Steve Flesch (70 on Saturday).
The tournament is the first leg of the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs. The top two players in the points race, South African Ernie Els and Australian Steven Alker, are well back. Els is tied for 30th at 1 under after a 72, and Alker (75 on Saturday) is tied for 48th at 2 over.
Only the top 54 players after this event qualify for next week’s tournament.
Duke, who began the week at No. 29 in the standings, went 5-under 31 on the first nine holes. He made birdies at Nos. 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 9 with his lone bogey at the par-4 No. 7, where his second shot found the greenside bunker on the 434-yard hole and he needed three shots from there.
Six consecutive pars followed on the back nine until a birdie at the par-5 No. 16.
“You’ve got to drive it in the fairway and I do that, but I have to birdie the par 5s. Have to,” said Duke, who birdied the par-5 Nos. 6, 9 and 16. “These guys hit it too long for me. I think I got three of âem today and three yesterday and that’s a bonus.
“Just par some of the tough ones,” he continued. “You’ve got to play the par 3s; they’re very difficult as well. So I missed a short one on 17. Besides that, I played really solid the whole day.”
Duke has, through 36 holes, hit 23 of 28 fairways and 27 of 36 greens in regulation.
His lone PGA Tour Champions victory in 133 starts entering this week is the 2023 Rogers Charity Classic. He is 0-for-2 when leading or sharing a 36-hole lead after 36 holes and winning a Champions event.
Duke said a victory on Sunday would show, with all the hard work put in, that he can win more than once, and that would mean something.
“Sometimes you win just one time, it’s a fluke,” Duke said. “But we’re consistent players and we just want to show that we can play out here as much as we can and just enjoy the ride more than anything. I enjoy it. I’m not going to be out here forever, but to get another win would be really nice.”
Gonzalez birdied Nos. 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 15 and 16 to overcome a double bogey on the par-4 No. 11.
