Second-Round Notes – Friday, March 3, 2023
Weather: Partly cloudy. High of 85. Wind E 12-16 mph, gusting to 24 mph.
36-hole cut: 70 players at 1-under 143 from a field of 120 professionals
Second-Round Leaderboard
Carson Young 63-67—130 (-14)
Paul Haley II 68-66—134 (-10)
Nico Echavarria 67-67—134 (-10)
Harry Higgs 71-64—135 (-9)
Things to Know
- PGA TOUR rookie Carson Young ties 36-hole tournament record of 14-under 130 in bid for first victory in his 14th TOUR start
- In his second Puerto Rico Open start (2013/MC), Paul Haley II posts a bogey-free 6-under 66, one shy of career low on TOUR
- In his Puerto Rico Open debut, Colombia’s Nico Echavarria seeks first career top-10 finish on TOUR in 11th start
- For the second week in a row, Ryan Gerard heads into the third round inside the top five (T5); is in good position to earn PGA TOUR Special Temporary Membership and more
- At 4-under 140, Rafa Campos is the lone Puerto Rico native (of five in the field) to make the cut
Second-Round Lead Notes
4 Second-round leaders/co-leaders to win the Puerto Rico Open
(Most recent: Ryan Brehm/2022)
5 Second-round leaders/co-leaders to win on TOUR in 2022-23
(Most recent: Scottie Scheffler/WM Phoenix Open)
Carson Young (1st/-14)
| Category | Entering the week |
| Age | 28 (November 12, 1994) |
| FedExCup | 187 |
| OWGR | 453 |
| Starts – wins – top-10s in PGA TOUR career | 13-0-0 |
| Starts – wins – top-10s on TOUR in 2022-23 | 12-0-0 |
| Starts – wins – top-10s at Puerto Rico Open | 1-0-0 |
- Followed a 9-under 63 in round one with a 5-under 67 in Friday’s second round to tie the Puerto Rico Open 36-hole tournament record of 14-under 130 (Andres Romero/2013)
- After claiming a share of last week’s 18-hole lead at The Honda Classic with a 5-under 65, followed at PGA National with an even-par 70 to sit T10 at 5-under 135 through 36 holes; finished T29 at 3-under 277
- Takes his third lead/co-lead after any round on TOUR (R1/2023 Honda Classic, R1-2/2023 Puerto Rico Open)
- Best finish in 12 starts this season came with last week’s T29 at The Honda Classic
- Only previous TOUR start before this season was the 2021 Puerto Rico Open (MC)
- Winner of the 2022 Panama Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour
Ryan Gerard (T5/-8)
- After an opening round 3-under 69, improved with a 5-under 67 in round two
- With a win this week, will qualify for THE PLAYERS Championship next week and be exempt on the PGA TOUR through the 2024-25 season
- With any finish between 2nd and 3-way T9, becomes eligible for Special Temporary Membership for the remainder of the season, allowing him to accept unlimited sponsor exemptions
- With a top-10, will qualify for the Valspar Championship
- Finds himself in this position after getting through a 5-for-3 playoff at the Open Qualifier for The Honda Classic last week (the playoff took place Tuesday morning); finished solo-fourth at The Honda Classic, becoming the first Open Qualifier to finish in the top five of a TOUR event since Doc Redman at the 2019 Rocket Mortgage Classic (2nd)
Miscellaneous Notes
- In his second Puerto Rico Open start (2013/MC), Paul Haley II (2nd/-10) carded a bogey-free 6-under 66, one shy of his career low on TOUR (2023 Sony Open in Hawaii/R2); two-time Korn Ferry Tour winner seeks a first career TOUR top-10 finish in his 30th start (best: T12/2022 Fortinet Championship)
- Making his Puerto Rico Open debut, Colombia’s Nico Echavarria (T2/-10) offset two bogeys with five birdies and an eagle at the par-5 second hole to sign for a 5-under67; comes to this week’s Puerto Rico Open on the heels of four consecutive missed cuts; best finish in 10 career starts on TOUR, each of which has come this season, was T12/Sony Open in Hawaii
- Following a 1-under 71 in round one, Harry Higgs (4th/-9) posted an 8-under 64 in his first start in the Puerto Rico Open, tying Harry Hall for the low round of the day
- En route to his 8-under 64, England’s Harry Hall (T5/-8) followed his only bogey of the day at No. 18 (his ninth hole) with a birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie stretch on Nos. 1-4; his lone top-10 finish on TOUR came at the 2021 Shriners Children’s Open (T8)
- Puerto Rico native Rafa Campos sits T34 at 4-under 140 in his 14th Puerto Rico Open start after opening with back-to-back 2-under70s; seeks a fourth top-10 finish in the event (2016/T8, 2017/T10, 2021/T3); is the only of five Puerto Rico natives who started this week to make the cut.
- Jeff Overton withdrew during round two with a back injury
