Amateur Kieron van Wyk made the most of his exemption into the PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open as he carded a second round of four-under-par 68 to head into the weekend in a share of 13th at Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
Van Wyk, who made a bogey on his second hole of the day, was flawless after that, and he made three birdies and an eagle. Together with his opening six-under, he reached 10-under through 36 holes, and was five strokes off the lead.
At the top of the leaderboard, Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen was at 15-under-par after his second round of seven-under-par 65. He had a one stroke lead over American Davis Riley, and another American, Austin Cook, was in third on 13-under-par.
Van Wyk secured his exemption by winning the Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA) Tour’s Farmers Insurance Invitational at Torrey Pines, becoming the first amateur golfer to win an APGA event since the tour started in 2010.
Ranked number 88 in the world, Neergaard-Petersen received a commissioner’s exemption for international players into the Puerto Rico Open, which is played opposite the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
“Once I get into the round and kind of get a couple holes in, it just kind of feels like any other day on the golf course really,” Neergaard-Petersen said. “I’m just trying to stay in the present.”
The 25-year-old from Denmark plays on the DP World Tour and was second in his previous start, shooting a final-round 65 to finish one shot behind Haotong Li at the Qatar Masters.
Garrick Higgo had a second round of three-under-par 69, and he moved to nine-under-par for the tournament and a share of 16th.
Thriston Lawrence had a two-under 70, and he goes into the weekend in a share of 41st on seven-under-par.
