Lahiri makes cut with a strong front nine on second day

Anirban Lahiri has made the cut with a fine show on the front nine, ending the day at four-under 68 to be tied-33rd at the halfway stage of the Rocket Mortgage Classic here.

Lahiri, who had five birdies on the front nine, had one more on the back nine, but he also missed some short putts for two bogeys.

He is now seven-under 135 and tied-33rd.

The weather was partly cloudy with temperatures in high 90s and the wind was gentle 5-10 mph and 71 players made the cut at 5-under 139.

Even as Cameron Champ (66-65) played one of the best stretches on the PGA Tour this season for an eight under 28 with six birdies and an eagle, overnight leader, Nate Lashley (63-67) kept the 36-hole lead by one shot.

Though the scoring has been rather low, some big names Dustin Johnson (71-71) and U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland (72-69) finished at two-under to miss the cut by three strokes.

Also missing out were Chez Reavie (65-78), winner of the Travelers Championship last week, and Bubba Watson (68-75).

Lahiri hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation during his second round. He opened with a birdie on the 453-yard par-4 second hole and also birdied fourth, fifth, seventh and ninth and despite missing an eight-footer on first and an 11-footer later, he turned in five-under.

On the back nine, he had his first bogey of the tournament on 11th and that came after a brilliant second shot to six feet for par, but he missed it. He also missed a seven and a half footer for birdie on 14th and a four and a half footer for another birdie on 17th.

Lashley was on top of the leaderboard for the second straight day at 14-under 130 for a one-shot lead. Charles Howell III (67) was two shots back. J.T. Poston (63) and Ryan Armour (69) were another stroke back.

Lashley's only top-10 finish during his two-year PGA TOUR career was in February, when he tied for eighth at the Puerto Rico Open.

The 24-year-old Champ won the Sanderson Farms Championship in October and added a pair of top-10 finishes in November. In his last 10 tournaments, though, he has missed seven cuts and withdrawn once.

Champ had five birdies from second to sixth and an eagle of seventh. The only two holes he had less than a birdie or eagle was first and eighth.

Lashley, the last player to get in the field, is hoping to become first alternate to win since 2016.

Hideki Matsuyama made the cut for a 24th successive event, which is the current best streak.

The top two finishers in the top eight and ties not otherwise exempt will receive exemptions to The Open Championship.