Nico Echavarria’s second straight 64 Friday put the Colombian ahead by two strokes at 12-under after two rounds at the Zozo Championship in Chiba, Japan.
Echavarria carded seven birdies and a bogey to grab the 36-hole lead for the first time on the PGA Tour. His score of 128 at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club matched the tournament’s 36-hole record set by Tiger Woods in 2019.
“I’ve never had a lead after 36 holes,” said Echavarria, who played at the University of Arkansas.
His lone win on the PGA Tour was last year at the Puerto Rico Open.
“I’ve had it after 54, but never after 36, so it’s good to be in this position,” he added. “There’s got to be some pressure. Hopefully a good round tomorrow can keep me in the lead or around the lead. And how I said yesterday — the goal is to be close with nine holes to go.”
First-round leader Taylor Moore shot a 3-under 67 on Friday and is tied for second at 10-under with Justin Thomas, who capped his bogey-free 64 with an eagle at the par-5 18th hole.
Thomas is looking to break a two-year winless drought.
“I felt like I had some pretty good scoring opportunities there on the front nine and to only be 1-under was, I don’t want to say disappointing, but felt like closer to the higher end of what I could have or should have shot,” Thomas said. “I know how this place is if you drive it well and I have a lot of confidence in how I was driving it.
“Just tried to keep putting it in the fairway and attack from there.”
Ireland’s Seamus Power posted the lowest round of the week with a bogey-free 62. He collected four straight birdies on holes Nos. 4-7 and four more birdies on the back nine.
With his career-best round on the PGA Tour, Power moved to 9-under and a three-way tie for fourth place with Eric Cole (67 on Friday) and Taiwan’s C.T. Pan (66).
Rickie Fowler (64) climbed into a tie for seventh place with Max Greyserman (68) at 8-under.
Fowler, who tied for second in the event in 2022, is a crowd favorite because of his mother’s Japanese roots.
“It would be amazing to win here,” Fowler said. “Came close a few years ago.”
Defending champion Collin Morikawa (67) is eight shots back of the leader and Xander Schauffele, who shot a 65 on his 31st birthday, is 10 shots behind.
