Frederik Kjettrup holds four-stroke lead in suspended CRMC Championship

BRAINERD, Minn. – The second round of the CRMC Championship presented by Gertens was suspended due to darkness at 7:57 p.m. CT, and will resume at 7:45 a.m. CT Saturday morning. Twenty-six groups are left to finish their second rounds. Third-round tee times are expected to begin at 11:00 a.m. CT. and run until 1:00 p.m. CT in threesomes off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees.

Frederik Kjettrup is at the top of leaderboard after carding a 7-under 63 on Friday at Cragun’s Legacy Courses. Kjettrup holds a four-stroke lead over course-record holder Taylor Funk, who has five holes remaining in his second round. The Masters and U.S. Open low-amateur Neal Shipley shares tied for third in 10-under with Joey Vrzich. Jay Card III is in solo fifth at 9-under heading into Saturday’s third round.

Kjettrup, a two-time PGA TOUR Americas winner, will look to claim his third victory of the season this week and earn the Three-Victory Promotion to the Korn Ferry Tour. By virtue of three wins in a singular season, Kjettrup would automatically become an exempt member on the Korn Ferry Tour for the rest of the 2024 season and for the following season in 2025.

The Denmark-native posted his career low with a 62 in the first round off the strength of six birdies and an eagle. Kjettrup got through eight holes on Thursday before play was suspended due to darkness, and persevered through 28 holes on Friday. Upon returning to first round play at 7:45 a.m. CT Friday morning, Kjettrup opened the day up with an eagle on No. 18, the 531-yard par 5, and posted a bogey-free back-nine to card an 8-under 62. He carried this momentum into the second round with a birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie start, and upon a combination of seven birdies, an eagle, and two bogeys in the second round, cruised his way to a 7-under 63 to lead by four strokes.

Kjettrup returned to his phenomenal play last week following a four-week dry spell comprised of a missed cut and a tied for 35th best finish. After holding the No. 1 spot in the Fortinet Cup for four weeks, the 24-year-old entered this week No. 3 in the season-long points list and posted his best finish since his back-to-back victories at last week’s CentrePort Canada Rail Park Manitoba Open (T9/-20). He currently retains a 67.81 scoring average through eight starts this season and is a combined 35-under par in his last six rounds.

The second round will be resumed at 7:45 a.m. CT Saturday morning. Third-round tee times are scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. CT and will run until 1:00 p.m. CT in threesomes off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees.

About Frederik Kjettrup (first/-15)

Age: 24

Birthplace: Aabybro, Denmark

Residence: Tallahassee, Florida

College: Florida State University

Fortinet Cup (start of week): third

• A back-to-back, two-time PGA TOUR Americas winner; won in his second start as a professional and in his PGA TOUR Americas debut at The Beachlands Victoria Open presented by Times Colonist, and followed this performance with his second victory at the ATB Classic
• Finished No. 8 in the 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking to initially earn exempt membership to the North America Swing of PGA TOUR Americas and conditional status on the Korn Ferry Tour
• Made his professional debut at the 2024 U.S. Open after earning a spot in the field via Final Qualifying in Alpharetta, Georgia
• Started golfing at nine years old and only started to take the game serious at 13 years old; his brother, Nicolaj, got him into the game
• Grew up in Aabybro, Denmark, and was the first one in his family to attend college in the United States (Florida State University)
• Played four collegiate seasons at Florida State where he claimed three individual victories (2022 All-American Intercollegiate, 2023 Watersound Invitational, 2024 ACC Championship) and claimed a team runner-up finish at the 2024 NCAA Championship
• Girlfriend Charlotte Heath plays professional golf on the Epson Tour after graduating from Florida State in 2024
• His role model is Ludvig Åberg; believes he has a good head on his shoulders and admires what he has been able to accomplish in his professional golf career
• Won the 2021 Danish National Stroke Play Championship by seven strokes over fellow Dane Gustav Frimodt

Competition Notes

Course Setup: Par 70 / 7,001 yards; R2 average: 69.04

Weather: Sunny with a high of 78. Wind from the southwest at 4-13 mph with gusts up to 24 mph.

• Play was suspended at 7:57 p.m. CT due to darkness; the second round will resume at 7:45 a.m. CT Saturday morning, and the third round will begin at approximately 11 a.m. CT.
• Two-time PGA TOUR Americas winner Frederik Kjettrup (first/-15) holds a four-stroke lead over course-record holder Taylor Funk who has five holes remaining in his second round.
• Paul Chaplet (T8/-7) leads the field as the low Latin in 7-under with three holes remaining in his second round
• Team Canada member Stuart Macdonald is the lone Canadian in the top-10 and is tied for sixth in 8-under after a second-round 6-under 64.
• The two amateurs in the field, Carson Herron (T8/-7) and Ben Warian (T26/-5), are expected to make the projected cutline at 2-under 138.
• Fortinet Cup No. 1 and CCRP Manitoba Open winner Johnny Keefer is tied for eighth in 7-under.
• Hole No. 15 – the 234-yard par 3 – is the most challenging hole at Cragun’s Legacy Courses; averaging a +.440.