Paul Peterson cards a second-round 63 to claim 36-hole lead at Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation

Things to know

• 18-hole co-leader Paul Peterson, No. 51 on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List, cards a second-round 7-under 63 to claim the outright 36-hole lead, the first of his Korn Ferry Tour career.
• Ryan Gerard, who ranks 13th on the points list and already secured #TOURBound status, sits one shot behind Peterson and is inside the top five after two rounds for the ninth time this season.
• Chris Baker, No. 91 on the points list, cards the low round of the day with a 9-under 61 and climbs to T4.
• Third-round groupings will tee off from 9:50 through 11:50 a.m. CT off the first and 10th tees.
• Upon conclusion of this week’s Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation, the top 120 players on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List will be eligible to compete in next week’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, the third of four season-ending Korn Ferry Tour Finals events.

Paul Peterson (First/-13)

• Entered the day as an 18-hole co-leader and claims the solo 36-hole lead following a bogey-free 7-under 63.
• Marks the first 36-hole lead of his Korn Ferry Tour career (making 56th career start this week).
• Through 36 holes this week, has logged 14 birdies against just one bogey.
• Third time this season inside the top-10 after 36 holes (converted each of the past two instances into finishes of T4/Compliance Solutions Championship and T7/NV5 Invitational presented by Old National Bank).
• Sits 51st on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List after logging six top-25 finishes in 23 starts, including two top-10s.
• Last year, in his first full season on the Korn Ferry Tour, finished No. 61 on the Points List as a 35-year-old rookie to earn fully exempt membership for the 2024 season (top 75 from Points List).
  • In 25 starts during his rookie season, logged three top-10s and 18 made cuts, with all three of his top-10s coming in the first six events of the season.
• In 55 career starts on the Korn Ferry Tour, has totaled five top-10 finishes, with his best being a T4 at the 2024 Compliance Solutions Championship.
• This week marks his second career start at the Simmons Bank Open (finished T16 in 2023).
• Played collegiately at Oregon State University (2006-10), earning an All-Pac-10 Conference Second Team laurel in 2009.
• Resides in St. Simons Island, Georgia.

Quotables

Paul Peterson on maintaining a fresh attitude throughout the season… “It's something I've been working hard on. I think we brought up yesterday that early in the year was tough and it was very, very low. Last year, too. Kind of felt like I got off to a good start last year and then just seemed like every event was slipping further and further back instead of going towards my goal. Then got off to a rough start (this season) and really changed things around in Knoxville. I've been working hard on the mental side. I have people to thank for that and they know who they are.”

Peterson on his career path… “It's something. I turned pro in 2012. So the only Tour I haven't played on I think is our Latin. So I started Canadian Tour, Asian Tour, DP, played a year in Japan, played Sunshine co sanctioned. Yeah, I think the only one I haven't done is Latin Tour and maybe the Asian development tour. Other than that, 44 countries, five passports. We've seen a lot of golf."

Additional second-round notes

• Ryan Gerard (2nd/-12) carded a bogey-free 7-under 63 via five birdies and one eagle at the par-5 14th.
  • In 23 starts this season, Gerard has 10 top-25 finishes, including three top-10s, highlighted by his first career Korn Ferry Tour win at the BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by TD SYNNEX.
  • A 25-year-old University of North Carolina alum, Gerard currently sits 13th on the points list and has already secured #TOURBound status, assuring him of finishing inside the top 30 at season’s end to clinch PGA TOUR membership in 2025.
• ·Rick Lamb (3rd/-10), No. 82 on the points list, played his final 11 holes Friday at 6-under par and claims his first third top-five position after 36 holes this season.
  • In 19 starts this season, Lamb has three top-25 finishes, all coming in the last three starts.
• Danny Walker (T4/-9), who sits 28th on the points list and has six top-25 finishes in his last eight starts, follows his first-round 65 with a second-round 4-under 66 and is inside the top five for the second time in his last three starts (solo 3rd after 54 holes at Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Woodhouse, finished runner-up).
  • Walker entered the week No. 28 on the points list and is bidding for his first career PGA TOUR card.
• Trevor Cone (T4/-9) carded a second-round 7-under 63 which included a four-hole stretch (Nos. 8-11) that he played at 5-under par (eagled par-4 eighth and birdied the next three holes).
  • Cone entered the week No. 29 on the points list and is bidding for a return to the PGA TOUR after originally earning his first TOUR card during the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour season.
• Chris Baker (T4/-9), No. 91 on the points list, carded the low round of the day with a bogey-free 9-under 61 and climbs inside the top five after being in T64 position after the first round.
  • In 19 starts this season, Baker has three top-25 finishes, with his lone top-10 being a T8 at the Astara Chile Classic presented by Scotiabank.
• Thomas Rosenmueller (T18/-6) followed his first-round 1-over 71 with a second-round 7-under 63 and climbs inside the top 20 on the leaderboard entering the weekend.
  • Rosenmueller sits 14th on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List, on the verge of securing the first PGA TOUR card of his career.
• Kaito Onishi (T18/-6) is the only player in the field to remain bogey-free through 36 holes.
• Josh Creel (T18/-6) was the last man in the field being No. 144 on the points list and sits T18 after carding back-to-back 3-under 67s.