POWER KNAPP: Jake hangs tough, barely keeps Cognizant lead

MIAMI (AFP) — Jake Knapp came down to earth after his stunning opening round 59 with his one-under-par 70 on Friday cutting his lead at the PGA Tour Cognizant Classic to a single stroke.

Playing the back nine at PGA National first, Knapp reached the turn even-par but then after birdies on the third and fourth holes made a double bogey on the par-4 sixth.

Knapp drove into the water and then hit his third shot into the rough. Nevertheless he ended the second round with a one-stroke advantage over France’s Matthieu Pavon, who shot a 7-under 64.

“I’ve never had to follow up a 59 at a tournament before. It’s all new to me,” Knapp said.

“Yesterday, everything was just clicking ball-striking wise, distance control felt really good, and I was able to control flight and windows. All that was perfect.”

“Today I think the winds were kind of stop-and-go and (I) just kind of misjudged a few things, but overall felt like I was still making good passes at it. A couple wayward shots but nothing too concerning,” he added.

The 30-year-old had made 12 birdies in a bogey-free round on Thursday and heads into the weekend hoping he can remain on top.

“I think it all stays the same. Obviously today wasn’t as great. I’ll go out and practice a little bit and make sure a few things are cleaned up,” he said.

“But for the most part you can’t really overdo it on this course. You can’t overpower it or anything like that. Just got to take what it gives you.”

Pavon started in blistering form making an eagle on his first hole, the par-5 10th. He reached the green in two and sank a 15-foot putt.

He followed up that perfect start with successive birdies and reached the turn five-under for the round. He had three birdies coming in, his second excellent second nine only slightly undone by a bogey on the tricky sixth hole, where he missed a five-foot putt for par.

“Tenth hole was the dream start. A nice drive, like low cut and I found myself with a nice number with a 4-iron, like 230 yards more or less, a little bit downwind off the right, and I hit that 4-iron perfect, a little hold against the wind, and I ended up 20, 25 foot,” Pavon said.

“We had a great read with my caddie. We saw the line pretty easily, and I just made a super stroke to start with a three.”

“I think we are getting better and better. I feel like my game is getting better and better after the few weeks I struggled early on this season,” he said.

Three Americans, Michael Kim, Daniel Berger and Dough Ghim, sat a further shot back on 11-under, alongside Swede Jesper Svensson.

Ghim had the round of the day with a sparkling bogey-free, 8-under-par 63. Like Pavon he eagled the 10th, where his 237-yard approach shot landed two-feet from the hole.

“It seems like it’s going to continue to be scorable, depending on the wind. But just got to keep the pedal to the ground because there’s a lot of people that have a chance,” he said.