SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda — Alex Noren began with three birdies after which he questioned if he would make one other. He picked up two extra late within the second spherical Friday and posted a 5-under 66 for a two-shot lead going into the weekend on the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

Noren lastly obtained a putt to fall on the par-4 fifteenth, added a birdie on the par-5 seventeenth and wound up setting the match file at 15-under 127.

He had a two-shot lead over Ryan Moore (64), and Satoshi Kodaira and Ryan Brehm, who every shot a 65, because the wind at Port Royal started to at the least trigger some doubt.

Noren felt he performed about the identical as he did on Thursday when he opened with a 61, with one huge exception.

“The wedges got here up 15 ft as an alternative of 5, and had a bunch of tap-ins yesterday,” he stated. “The greens … it’s various slope and various grain. The primary three birdies I simply type of rolled in, after which it was somewhat trickier.”

Moore performed bogey-free, someday after he felt he may barely maintain the ball on the golf course and was saved by his placing. That gave him a jolt of confidence that he didn’t should hit it nice to attain properly, and it carried over to the second spherical.

The timing is important. Moore, a former Ryder Cup participant, is at No. 140 within the FedExCup. The PGA Tour season ends subsequent week and the highest 125 maintain full PGA Tour playing cards. For gamers like Moore, it’s time to ship.

“It’s time to do it otherwise you don’t, proper?” Moore stated. “Fortuitously for me this week, I’ve been doing it higher and really feel somewhat bit higher. Constructed some confidence on my final couple weeks, simply completely different elements of my recreation beginning to work higher and that’s what you need to see. Hopefully, it stays that means.”

Brehm began 64-65 and he can solely hope it is a repeat from one other island. The Michigan native had by no means had a prime 10 on the PGA Tour till he received the Puerto Rico Open in 2022. He hasn’t had a prime 10 since then.

He already is exempt for subsequent yr, although one other out-of-nowhere victory would get him again to Kapalua to start out the yr and to the Masters for the primary time.

Camilo Villegas, a runner-up final week in Mexico, had a 63 and was within the group three photographs behind. The Colombian moved from No. 223 final week to No. 147. The highest 150 have conditional standing subsequent yr, however Villegas now has cause to make all of it the way in which to a full card.

“Two good rounds to get began, similar as final week,” Villegas stated. “Two good rounds to get began and we’re solely midway there, however we’ll maintain taking part in.”

Former Open champion Stewart Cink, who turned 50 this yr and has dabbled on the PGA Tour Champions, had a 67 and was amongst these at 11-under 131.

Adam Scott performed within the morning and shot 67 to get to inside 5 photographs of the lead, together with NCAA champion Fred Biondi, who had a 64.

Noren didn’t get pissed off when he adopted three straight birdies with 11 straight pars.

“It helps once you had spherical yesterday,” Noren stated. “You’re not essentially struggling, not pissed off, it’s simply that, ‘What am I doing completely different? Am I making an attempt too exhausting or begin asking caddie for the reads?’ He helps me on and off with the reads, however it’s most likely higher that I simply really feel the putts and belief my intuition. That’s what I did yesterday. You’ve obtained to only stick with it.”