Pontus Nyholm, Noah Goodwin tied for lead at Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship

Things to know

• First-round co-leader Noah Goodwin shares the 36-hole lead with Sweden’s Pontus Nyholm.
• Five players trail by two strokes in position T3, including PGA TOUR winner Richy Werenski, as well as 2024 Korn Ferry Tour winners Matt McCarty and Cristobal Del Solar.
• The 36-hole cut was made at 1-over – the fourth 36-hole cut over par this season – with 76 professionals advancing to the weekend.
• Third-round pairings will tee off from 7:20 a.m. through 1:55 p.m. ET off the first tee.
• Upon conclusion of this week’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, the top 75 players on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List will be eligible to compete in the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance.

Second round leader notes

• 5: Second-round leaders/co-leaders to win the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship.
• 8: Second-round leaders/co-leaders to win on Tour in 2024.

Charting the co-leaders

Noah Goodwin (Co-leader/-9)

• Made birdie on three of his first five holes (Nos. 12-14) en route to a 4-under 67.
• Claims first 36-hole lead/co-lead of his Korn Ferry Tour career (previous best 36-hole position; T3/2024 Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at the Abaco Club/finished T6).
• Held the 18-hole co-lead, second 18-hole lead/co-lead of his Korn Ferry Tour Career (2023 Veritex Bank Championship/finished T60).
• Making his second career start at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship (2023/MC).
• Owns nine top-25s and five top-10s in 21 starts on Tour this season.
• In his rookie season on the Korn Ferry Tour, Finished No. 110 on the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour Points List.
• Finished T14 at Final Stage of 2023 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry to earn guaranteed starts in the first 12 events of the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour season.
• Earned Korn Ferry Tour membership for the first time in 2023 with No. 3 finish on the 2022 PGA TOUR Canada Fortinet Cup Standings off the strength of two victories in 10 starts.
• Played five seasons at Southern Methodist University (2018-22) prior to turning professional last summer

Pontus Nyholm (Co-leader/-9)

• Posted a 6-under 65 in the second round, highlighted by a stretch of five birdies in six holes (Nos. 17, 18, 2, 3, 4) with an eagle on the par-5 fourth.
• Third 36-hole lead/co-lead of his Korn Ferry Tour career in what is his 75th start on Tour (most recent; 2023 Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation/finished T5).
• Making third career start at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship (2023/T49, 2022/MC).
• In 24 starts this season, owns seven top-25 finishes and two top-10s; best finish came in the form of a T6 at the BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by TD SYNNEX.
• Entered the week No. 50 on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List.
• Finished No. 69 on the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour Points List to earn fully exempt status for the 2024 season.
• Made 25 starts last year with four top-25 finishes and one top-10, coming in the form of a T5 at the Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation where he held the 54-hole co-lead.
• First earned Korn Ferry Tour membership ahead of the 2022 season via T29 finish at Final Stage of the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament.
• A Sweden native who played collegiately at Campbell University before turning professional in 2021.

Quotables

Noah Goodwin on his play through 36 holes… “I mean, I've managed myself well around this place the last two days. I'm striking it great. I haven't really been in the rough a whole lot and whenever I have been I've been able to just take my medicine and figure out a way to make par from there. Had one unfortunate bogey today, went in the left rough on No. 2 and thought it was going to jump and it just came out really dead. Hit a great pitch shot after that and I hit a really good putt that I thought was going to go in. But it happens out here, just try to minimize bogeys as much as I can. We have a good game plan. Just keep trying to give myself, worst case, 25-footers. And pars are really good scores out here. Birdies will come.”

Pontus Nyholm on his 6-under 66… “I thought I got off to a decent start, I was hitting some good shots, gave myself some nice looks. Made an unfortunate bogey on No. 15, which was my sixth hole or something. Then just said to Josh, my caddie, let's try and hit some good shots here, turn it around a little bit. Then hit one tight on No. 17, the par 3, made a nice putt on No. 18, my ninth, and then just kind of kept it rolling from there and hit some good putts.”

Nyholm on his play this season… “I've been fairly consistent. A lot of finishes between 15th and 25th, which most of the time it's been three really solid rounds and then a fourth round or a third round that hasn't been necessarily great. A lot of consistent golf. I played every event this year and I've been grinding and tried my best at every event, which I'm pleased with. Probably could have strung four good ones together a bit more throughout the year. I had a couple disappointing finishes and so forth, but overall pretty good golf, yeah.”

Notes

• Four of the five first-round co-leaders stand inside the top-10 after 36 holes: Goodwin, Matt McCarty (T3/-7), Tano Goya (T8/-6), Thomas Rosenmueller (T8/-6).
  • Goya and Rosenmueller both turned in rounds of 1-under 70 on Friday.
  • McCarty played his final nine holes bogey-free en route to 2-under 69.
• Kevin Roy (T3/-7), who has secured his return to the PGA TOUR for the 2025 season, posts a bogey-free 4-under 67.
  • Roy, making his fourth start at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, makes the 36-hole cut at the event for the third time in his career (best finish; T14/2022).
• PGA TOUR winner Richy Werenski (T3/-7) turns in a 7-under 64, making eight birdies (Nos. 1, 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18) and an eagle (No. 4) against three bogeys (Nos. 2, 10, 17).
• Dan McCarthy (T8/-6), who is No. 87 on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List, cards a bogey-free 5-under 66 and holds his best 36-hole position of the 2024 season (previous; 10/Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker/finished T35).
  • The Syracuse, New York native secures his fourth made cut at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship and stands inside the top-10 after 36 holes for the first time in what is his sixth career start in the event (best finish; T24/2018).
• Former Florida Gator Ricky Castillo (T8/-6), who is No. 24 on the points list, turned in a bogey-free 4-under 67 that included a stretch of three consecutive birdies from Nos. 5-7.
• Carter Jenkins (T8/-6), who stands inside the top-10 after 36 holes for the fourth time this season, is now two-for-two in made cuts at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship after a second-round 4-under 67.
  • Jenkins finished No. 34 on the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour Points List to earn fully exempt status for the 2024 season.
• Second-year member William Mouw (T13/-5), who will be a PGA TOUR rookie in 2025, bounced back from a first-round 3-over 74 with a bogey-free 8-under 63, the low round of the week, to move inside the cut line.
  • The Pepperdine alum owns five top-10 finishes this season in 20 starts, including two runners-up (Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open Benefitting KU Wichita Pediatrics, Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron).
• Korn Ferry Tour rookie Charles Porter (T13/-5), who is No. 100 on the points list, follows up a first-round even-par 71 with a bogey-free 5-under 66.
  • Porter has recorded three top-25s in 22 starts this season, with his best finish coming at The Ascendant presented by Blue with a T13 finish.