Erik van Rooyen signed for a five-under-par 66 on Friday in the second round of the PGA Tour’s Mexico Open at Vidanta in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco to be just one shot off the lead going into the weekend.
Together with his opening 64, he moved to 12-under-par, and is in hot pursuit of leader Tony Finau. Finau had a second round of seven-under 64 to go to 13-under. Van Rooyen shared second with Brandon Wu of the United States, and they were three clear of five players in a share of fourth on nine-under.
Van Rooyen started his round on the 10th, and he picked up four birdies on his way to the turn at the 18th, dropping a shot on the 16th. He dropped another shot on the fourth, but birdies on the sixth, seventh and his closing hole, the ninth saw him home in 33 for his 66.
Garrick Higgo slipped to a three-over 74 in the second round to miss the cut. MJ Daffue’s four-under 67 was not enough to see him into the weekend, and Dylan Frittelli finished a disappointing couple of days with a two-over 73 leaving him at nine-over and on his way home.
Jon Rahm, the defending champion at Vidanta Vallarta, shot a three-under 68. a four-time winner on the PGA Tour already this season, Rahm will head into the weekend six back of the lead. Finau tied for second to Rahm at last year’s Mexico Open.
