3 things you should know from Round 2 of the Rocket Mortgage Classic

One of the leaders holed out from around the green. The other leader holed out from around the green – twice. The six players who are one shot behind made just three bogies among them. Shots were dropping all over Detroit Golf Club. Here are three things you should know after Friday’s second round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit.  

Chris Kirk and Webb Simpson lead

On the par-3 11th, Chris Kirk slapped his ball toward the pin as it sat against the lip of the right greenside bunker. It bounced a few times and rolled in. Birdie. On the next hole, a par-4, Kirk chopped his ball out of deep rough from behind the green. It bounced a few times and rolled in. Birdie. 

On the par-4 16th, Webb Simpson lifted his ball from the center of the back-left greenside bunker. It bounced a few times and rolled in. Birdie 

The second-round leaders had holed out for birdie from a third of the holes on the back nine. 

Kirk combined his two birdies with six others to shoot a 7-under 65, and Simpson added seven more birdies to fire a 8-under 64, and each sits at 12-under after two rounds. Five players are at 11-under. 

Last May, Kirk announced he was taking a leave of absence from the game to get a handle on his alcoholism and depression. Just over a year later, he’s a leader at the halfway point of a PGA Tour tournament. 

‘I think that a few years ago, among other things, golf was definitely wearing on me and I definitely lost the joy of playing and competing,” Kirk said. “Now, you know, after being away from it and not knowing if I would really play again or not and choosing to come back just because I love to play golf, so that’s why I’m here this week. I love to play golf and I love to compete, so it’s a lot easier to keep that in the forefront of my mind now.”

Who’s in contention?

Bryson DeChambeau, Matthew Wolff, Seamus Power, Mark Hubbard, Ryan Armour and Richy Werenski all were a shot back. 

DeChambeau shot a bogey-free 67; Wolff made one bogey but made six straight birdies at one point on his way to a 64; Power and Hubbard each fired bogey-free 66s; Armour also made one bogey, but had a hole-in-one and seven birdies on his way to a 64; and Werenski had seven birdies and a bogey for a 66.

Kevin Kisner and Sepp Straka are two shots back, and nine golfers are three shots back.  

Who’s cut?

Among the players not making the cut to weekend play were Patrick Reed, Vijay Singh, Jason Day and Bubba Watson.