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Day in three-way tie for second-round lead at RBC Heritage

 
Jason Day putts at No. 13 on the way to 2-under 69, moving into a three-way tie for the second-round lead.
Jason Day putts at No. 13 on the way to 2-under 69, moving into a three-way tie for the second-round lead.
Published April 16, 2016

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Jason Day is back at the top in a bid for his third PGA Tour title in a month.

Coming off a disappointing Masters, the top-ranked Day shot 2-under 69 Friday at the RBC Heritage to share the second-round lead with Kevin Chappell and Charley Hoffman.

Chappell and Hoffman shot 68s for the second straight day to match Day at 6-under 136.

Luke Donald, who was tied for the first-round lead, was a stroke back along with Russell Knox and Patton Kizzire. Donald had a 71. Knox shot 65, the best round of the week. Kizzire had 68.

Past tournament champion Matt Kuchar topped a group at 4 under after shooting 71.

Day has won two of the past three times he has entered, starting with a one-shot win over Chappell a month ago in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. Day followed that with a victory at the WGC-Match Play and was a strong choice to slip on his first green jacket last week at Augusta. Instead, he tied for 10th and was never truly part of the drama in Jordan Spieth's late collapse and Danny Willett's triumph.

Now, Day is fighting off the fatigue and finding success at Harbour Town Golf Links.

"I felt like I was kind of punch drunk a little bit," he said of Thursday's start. "But came out today a lot more alert and on top of it."

Day has shown there aren't many who can match him when he's playing like this.

"I may be a little bit mentally fatigued, but it's not an excuse," he said. "I need to get out there and hit the shots and focus."

CHAMPIONS: Tom Watson said farewell to the Masters last week and then went back to work on his swing.

The results have him in position to make history on the senior tour.

Watson shot 4-under 68 for a share of the first-round lead with Tom Byrum and Mark O'Meara in the Mitsubishi Electric Classic in Duluth, Ga.

Watson, 66, is trying to become the oldest winner on the 50-and-over tour. Mike Fetchick set the mark in the 1985 Hilton Head Seniors International on his 63rd birthday.

That fact surprised Watson, who said: "Thanks for putting the pressure on me."

Watson hasn't won on the tour since 2011, and he wasn't ready to talk about his possible shot at history.

"We'll cross that bridge when it comes to it, if we come to it," Watson said, adding that he was confident after arriving early this week.

O'Meara said he is never surprised by low scores from Watson: "I never underestimate Tom Watson. Every time I play with him, he breaks his age. He doesn't cease to amaze me."

Todd Hamilton, Jesper Parnevik and Kenny Perry were a stroke back at TPC Sugarloaf.