Scoring conditions were much better on Friday at TPC Twin Cities as the morning wave got in under par. Even the afternoon saw conditions nearly two strokes better than the opening round. Many players took full advantage, but it was Scott Piercy who backed up his opening round 65 by doing one better and posting a 64 on Friday. Needless to say my second round fade did not play out too well, but we’ll look to do a little better as things head to the weekend.
Piercy will carry a three-shot lead over Emiliano Grillo into Saturday and Grillo is also two shots ahead of Callum Tarren, who had the round of the day with an 8-under 63 as he charged up the board from even par. Those three will tee off together on Saturday as players go off early in the morning to try to avoid some forecasted afternoon storms. This will also keep everyone in just about the same playing conditions on Moving Day, eliminating any edge that may have been available.
Overall, there are only seven players within six shots of the lead, which creates some very defined separation in the field. Still, with 36 holes to play, we shouldn’t be eliminating many from contention — especially with a player at the top who doesn’t have a good track record of late. Let’s see who stands out as the 3M Open heads into the weekend.