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Justin Leonard leads by one at PURE Insurance Championship

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Daily Wrap Up

Justin Leonard leads by one at PURE Insurance Championship
    Written by Staff

    Things to Know

    • 36-hole cut: 54 players at 2-over 146 made the cut and will advance to Sunday’s final round.
    • On the strength of a 7-under 65 at Spyglass Hill to match the low round through 36 holes, Justin Leonard positions himself for a first PGA TOUR Champions win in his19th start.
    • Looking to become the first open qualifier to win on PGA TOUR Champions since Dicky Pride (2021 Mitsubishi Electric Championship), Arjun Atwal cards a 4-under 68 at Spyglass Hill to get to within two of the lead.
    • Paul Stankowski ties the PGA TOUR Champions all-time record for most-consecutive birdies (8) on Nos. 13-2 at Pebble Beach; makes nine total birdies, good for a 7-under 65.
    • In the First Tee junior portion of the competition, Morgan Riley and Sebastian Velasquez lead the boys at 15-under, while Alyssa Stewart is atop the girls’ leaderboard at 19-under.

    Justin Leonard (1st/-10/PB-SH)

    • Birdied four of his first and last eight holes to post a 7-under 65 at Spyglass Hill in his first PURE Insurance Championship start.
    • The 65 marks his second-lowest score on PGA TOUR Champions (20 rounds) and falls three strokes shy of his 10-under 62 from round one of the American Family Insurance Championship (T4).
    • Missed just three (of 14) fairways and hit all but three greens in regulation.
    • Previous-best 36-hole position on PGA TOUR Champions: 3rd/2023 American Family Insurance Championship (T4).
    • Claimed four top-10 finishes in his first nine starts of the season, but has finished inside the top-15 only once in his last five starts (T14/U.S. Senior Open Championship).
    • Lone top-10 finish in nine starts at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on the PGA TOUR was a T4 in 1999.
    • Among 12 career PGA TOUR wins was the 1997 Open Championship and 1998 PLAYERS Championship.

    Justin Leonard leads by one at PURE Insurance


    Other Notes

    • Highlighted by five consecutive birdies on Nos. 2-6 at Pebble Beach, Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee (2nd/-9) signed for a 7-under 65 in his second PURE Insurance Championship start (T10/2022); best of two top-10 finishes this season, a T2, came as a result of final-round 8-under 62 in the final round of the Shaw Charity Classic last month.
    • In his bid for a third consecutive top-5 finish in the event (T5/2021, T2/2022), Paul Stankowski (T3/-8) made eight consecutive birdies on Nos. 13-2 at Pebble Beach en route to a 7-under 65; ties the PGA TOUR Champions record for most straight with five others; most recent Mark O’Meara (R1/2019 Cologuard Classic).
    • Following a 4-under 68 in Tuesday’s open qualifier to earn a spot in the field, Arjun Atwal (T3/-8) used back-to-back rounds of 4-under 68 to get within two strokes of the lead; with a victory, would become the first player on PGA TOUR Champions to win after open qualifying since Dicky Pride (2021 Mitsubishi Electric Championship).
    • Vying for a third top-5 finish in as many PURE Insurance Championship starts (T5/2021, T2/2022), Steven Alker followed birdies on four of his first seven holes with 11 straight pars to post a 3-under 69 and get to 7-under 137; highlighted by his Insperity Invitational win, Alker is vying for a ninth top-10 finish in his 15th start of the season.
    • Defending champion Steve Flesch is T40 at 1-over 145.

    First Tee:

    • The PURE Insurance Championship Impacting First Tee includes 80 First Tee members from 45 U.S. chapters (and one from Morocco) who are paired with, and mentored by, PGA TOUR Champions players and amateurs from the business world. To be selected, juniors were measured in both golf proficiency and life skills knowledge.
    • The top 24 First Tee Juniors (12 male and 12 female) after 36 holes now advance to Sunday’s final round at Pebble Beach; the top junior male and female will be crowned after Sunday’s final round.
    • In the First Tee junior portion of the competition, Morgan Riley (SH), who is paired with pro Tim O’Neal (T30/-1) and Sebastian Velasquez (PB), who is paired with pro Paul Stankowski (T3/-8), lead the boys at 15-under, while Alyssa Stewart, who is paired with pro Justin Leonard (1st/-10), is atop the girls’ leaderboard at 19-under 63 (SH).