GREENSBORO — Maybe it’s time for Tom Hoge to shed Tiger Woods’ shadow at the Wyndham Championship.
Hoge, who has held a place in the footnotes of this event’s history since his weekend pairing with Woods five years ago, maintained his footing among the frontrunners Friday at Sedgefield Country Club.
His 2-under-par 68 improved him to 10-under for the tournament, and tied for the second-round lead with Billy Horschel, Si Woo Kim and Talor Gooch.
“I had a few birdie opportunities I kind of let slip by, some close putts on the last few holes that I’d like to have back,” Hoge said, “but all in all a good day. We’re moving forward. Just know I’ve got to make a lot of birdies the next two days.”
Seven birdies and an eagle piled up during Thursday’s opening round that had Hoge flirting with breaking 60, before settling for 62. He finished par-bogey on Nos. 17 and 18, with the dropped stroke on the last hole leaving him muttering as he walked off the green.
Back-to-back birdies on the 18th and first holes Friday — his group played the back side of the course first, then made the turn to the front nine — climbed Hoge to 11-under midway through the second round. He had two bogeys against one birdie the rest of the way.
It marked the second day in a row that Hoge, who was born in Statesville and has yet to pick up a victory on the PGA Tour, hit 14 greens in regulation. The two rounds, though, became different in composition.
“A little more work for sure,” he said of Friday. “I was in the rough a little more often and a little out of position where I got above the hole on a few of the pins coming in, had some fast putts and a little more work. Hopefully, kind of got that out of my system.
“I was surprised that the golf course was as dry as it was with as much rain as we got overnight. But I was in the rough quite a bit there early on and it was pretty thick and wet this morning, so a lot of shots you’re just trying to get to the front of the green coming from that thick rough. Just tried to manage it. Fortunate to be a few under.”
Horschel gained ground in the later stages of Friday afternoon, supplying a 6-under 64 fueled by a run of four birdies across his final six holes to reach 10-under and join Hoge, Kim and Gooch atop the leaderboard.
He wore a wide smile while using “effortless” and “very easy” to describe his second round, which was capped by a 327-yard drive, an approach to within 7 feet and a birdie on the par-4 ninth hole.
“Really didn’t have any trouble at all,” said Horschel, whose only bogey came on the par-4 11th hole. “I put the ball in the fairway, which is key around here. If you can put the ball in the fairway, you can be aggressive to these pins and control your shots going into these greens, which is crucial, and I’ve done a really good job of that these last two days.”
Kim and Gooch carded 5-under 65s to grab a piece of the lead. Harris English, Andrew Landry, Doc Redman, Harold Varner III and reigning British Open champion Shane Lowry were one back of the lead pack at 9-under.
Raleigh native and Wake Forest product Webb Simpson, the former U.S. Open champion and 2011 Wyndham winner, was part of the seven-way logjam two shots behind at 8-under. Twenty-five players ended Friday within three shots of the lead.
Five years ago here, Hoge, then a Tour rookie, played alongside the iconic Woods in the Wyndham’s final group of the third round.
“Yeah, it was a zoo on Saturday,” Hoge said, recalling that Sedgefield scene. “All the people kind of crammed in here, but just a lot of fun. It’s a shame we can’t have the same crowds here this year because the people really support this event well and it’s always fun to come back to.
“But for me, it was a big week trying to get into those FedExCup Playoffs that year. Nice to be a little more comfortable this week where I’m not having to worry about that bubble coming into the week.”
Hoge shared the second-round lead with Woods in 2015, one shot ahead of Wyndham fan favorite Davis Love III. When Woods was asked by reporters that Friday about his upcoming Saturday pairing with Hoge, the answer proved memorable for those in the room.
“Don’t know him, never seen him, don’t know anything about him,” Woods said, smiling then. “There are so many guys out here I don’t know. I’ve been hurt. I haven’t played that much.”
This article originally appeared on Times-News: Hoge, a footnote to Tiger, builds contending pace at Wyndham Championship
