LOS CABOS, Mexico — The wind laid down on Friday at El Cardonal at Diamante and the birdie bonanza began at the 2024 World Wide Technology Championship.
“Way less wind, at times it’s pretty minimal. It was gettable out there, a lot of birdies to be had and if you played well and executed you could go pretty low,” co-leader Max Greyserman said. “I saw someone shot 61, so not surprising. You’ve just got to make a lot of birdies out here. It’s a fairly easy course if you execute.”
The cut came in at 2 under and a slew of notable names fell short of the weekend.
Here are 5 more things to know about the second round of the 2024 World Wide Technology Championship.
Nico going for No. 2 in a row
Nico Echavarria didn’t know how he was going to feel on Thursday after winning the Zozo Open in Japan in his last start. He said he enjoyed his celebration but “the hangover was over.”
“After my win in Puerto Rico (last year) I said I felt awful the next few weeks or even months. This time I guess you’re older, you know what to expect and really it’s going very well,” he said.
Friday was better than most. Echavarria played a seven-hole stretch in 7 under, including holing a bunker shot at the par-5 6th for eagle. He posted 9-under 63, his lowest score of his Tour career.
“Nice,” he said. “That’s good to know.”
But Echavarria was most proud of the par he made at No. 3.
“It’s such a momentum game that if I don’t make par on 3, I had like, I don’t know, a 10-footer for par on 3 that I made. I kind of got things rolling, made birdie on 4, made birdie on 5, eagled 6. I think the par on 3 was even more important.”
Echavarria will try to win for the second straight tournament and for the third time in his career. With none of the Mexican players in the field making the cut, the fans have adopted the Colombian as the next best thing.
“In general the Latinos you would call it are friendly people and having the language in common and the culture makes you feel like home,” Echavarria said. “So yes, I would say this is almost home for me.”
Greyserman’s deja vu all over again
Max Greyserman waited for his turn to talk to the media as co-leader Nico Echavarria finished his session. As Echavarria, who pipped him by a stroke with a birdie at the 72nd hole at the Zozo Championshipa little more than a week ago, Greyserman smiled and said, “See you on the first tee tomorrow.”
Different country but a bit of déjà vu as these two are tied at the top again. Greyserman noticed Echavarria making his move on Friday afternoon in front of him.
“I thought that here we go again, let’s go, this is going to be fun,” he said. “Yeah, it’s going to be fun tomorrow.”
Greyserman shot 64 to climb to 12-under 132 and share the 36-hole lead thanks to a hot putter.
“Made a few today. It was easier to putt with less wind, so that was kind of a key,” he said.
Young’s course record
Cameron Young may have withdrawn from the tournament on Wednesday but Carson Young is still here to make some noise. He carded six birdies on each side, tossing in one three-putt bogey, but still posted a tournament-record 11-under 61 at El Cardonal at Diamante and shot his lowest-career round on Tour.
Young, who once shot 59 at a course back home in South Carolina, said it was pretty boring golf.
“Really after the 3-wood I hit on 18 (his ninth hole) and almost made the eagle to get 7 under, I thought, all right, this is going to be a good day,” he said. “It was just a pretty fun round, everything came pretty easy. I drove it great, hit a lot of really good iron shots. All my birdies it seemed like were inside like 10 or 15 feet.”
Young’s caddie, William Lanier, said he just tried to stay out of his boss’s way, confirming yardages and handing him clubs.
“My pencil was getting dull but I was like, ‘No, can’t change anything,’” Lanier said. “It was kind of like talking to a pitcher when he’s got a no-hitter going.”
Young said his putting has picked up of late, adding, “that’s usually kryptonite for me.”
On Friday, he zoomed up the leaderboard like the Man of Steel.
Wu’s en fuego start
Dylan Wu was en fuego – pardon me but we’re in Mexico so allow me to use one of the few Spanish phrases know – to open his second round. He birdied the first six holes en route to shooting 65 and improving to 10-under 134. That was a big round for the third-year pro who has missed the cut at four of his last five starts and slipped to No. 119 in the FedEx Cup Fall standings.
“I kind of know where I’m at right now. I wish I played better at the beginning of the year or the rest of the regular season to not put myself in this position. It’s still an awesome experience whether you play well or play bad,” he said. “When you’re on the cut line or you’re fighting for your job, it’s a lot harder than when you’re trying to win a tournament.”
Wu knows what’s at stake in terms of job security for next season but he also is enjoying a taste of being in the hunt.
“I’m just looking to have a chance this weekend,” he said. “I saw on the back nine I was leading for a little bit and those feelings are awesome because I want to experience that.”
Ace alert for Hossler
The Beau Show produced a highlight reel on Friday: a hole-in-one at the par-3 11th.
“That was my second on Tour. I made one last year at Barracuda, but it wasn’t on film. So I guess it was the first one on camera,” he said.
Hossler rallied from an opening-round 76, which included an 8, to shoot 63 on Friday and make the cut.
“It’s cool. I mean, you’re kind of just grinding trying to make the cut,” he said. “I was more excited about the 2 under par on the hole than necessarily making an ace.”
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: A course record, an ace and shot at back-to-back wins headline Friday’s action at 2024 World Wide Technology Championship
