D.J. Trahan, Nate Lashley, Roberto Diaz Tied at 2019 Puerto Rico Open

RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico – Heading into the weekend in Puerto Rico, D.J. Trahan, Nate Lashley and Roberto Diaz lead by one at 8 under par.

Trahan (69-67) made three straight birdies on the back nine and added another on the par-5 18th to be the first to get to 8 under for the week. The two-time TOUR winner credits a change in attitude for his recent run of good play.

“I was definitely down for a long time,” Trahan admitted. “My back was a big issue for me, and I let that get to me mentally as well. I was really down on myself, and I wasn't thinking or acting appropriately. I was beating myself up. And when your body's hurting and your head's hurting, there's no good golf to be played because you're playing against the best players in the world out here.”

Trahan said he realized the “sob story” was over and he started to take responsibility for his actions.

“It's a process, because it's so easy to be negative. Quite frankly, it is more difficult to be positive. That was a choice I made and it certainly wasn't an easy one, but it's been very beneficial for me,” he said.

Lashley (68-68) is no stranger to playing well in the Caribbean, having won three times on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica in 2016 and the next year, on the Web.com Tour, he won the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship – now a PGA TOUR event.

With high winds blowing all day, Lashley said consistency was key. He made six birdies – including four on the back nine – to just two bogeys on the day.

“It's pumping pretty good. You've got to hit solid shots and hopefully catch a wind gust and then get it on the green and make some putts,” he said. “You've got to stay consistent out there.”

Diaz, meanwhile, said he’s been inspired by the good play of fellow Mexican Abraham Ancer, who’s in the field this week at the WGC-Mexico Championship, and Carlos Ortiz.

“A bunch of Mexicans playing well at the moment, Carlos and Abe are putting the bar pretty high, so I need to keep up,” said Diaz. “I'm very excited for the upcoming weeks.”

The trio lead by one over Roger Sloan (70-67), Martin Trainer (70-67), and Ben Crane (68-69)

Sloan is back on the PGA TOUR after earning his TOUR card via Web.com Tour Finals in 2018. He made an eagle on the par-4 17th after dunking a lob wedge from 67 yards with a 60-degree wedge.

He said he learned a lot his first year on TOUR and has been applying those lessons so far in 2018-19 and making adjustments as necessary. His best result on TOUR is a T-12, which occurred at the Desert Classic earlier this year.

“The calendar year's just kind of getting started,” said Sloan. “We're almost here at the midpoint of the season, but I'm excited for the next few months, it's going to be good.”

Jonathan Byrd (71-67) sits two shots back of the lead as part of a group at 6 under after firing a 7-under-par 29 on his second nine of the day.

The 29 included two chip-ins and three-straight birdies on hole Nos. 7-9.

Byrd made a double bogey on the par-5 15th after his approach shot got stuck in a palm tree and he had to take a penalty shot. He made the turn mad at himself, he said, but turned that anger into great play.

“I wasn't thinking I could go out there and shoot 29, I wasn't thinking about making those long putts. I just kind of kept just trusting my reads, trusting my clubs and just tried to react as much as I possibly could,” he said.

Byrd and Trahan are both Clemson University alums and Byrd said the pair were “fighting for their lives” this season given their FedExCup standing.

“(Trahan has) played good in the starts he's gotten, and I've played pretty well,” said Byrd. “We need to play well, so that's why we'll hopefully playing good this weekend and see where it leaves us.”

J.J. Henry (74-69) had the shot of the day Friday, making an ace on the par-3 16th hole.

The cut came at 1 over par. Coco Beach Golf Club played nearly a full shot over par Friday.