Golf: Finau, Cauley share lead at Texas Open

TEXAS – Long-hitting Tony Finau stumbled at the final hole to fall back into a share of the second-round lead with fellow American Bud Cauley at the Texas Open on Friday.

Finau, buoyed by an eagle at the par-four 11th, looked set to enjoy sole possession of the lead at the end of the day until he bogeyed the par-five 18th, though he still carded an excellent seven-under-par 65 at TPC San Antonio.

The one-time PGA Tour winner joined Cauley (66) at eight-under 136, with Australian Cameron Smith in a group of three players one shot behind.

Cauley was upbeat after hitting the front in his quest for a breakthrough victory on the PGA Tour, after previously finishing third on three occasions.

“I hit it a little better yesterday and didn’t quite convert on some of the putts. Today I putted really well,” he said.

“It was windy out there. I knew I was going to miss some greens and I was able to hit some good chips.”

Smith, one shot back, also enjoyed his fair share of good breaks in his 65.

“It all fell into place,” he said. “Everything I hit, whether it was a rubbish shot or a good shot, went close to the hole. My short game was really good. I think I had three chip-ins.”

Last year's PGA Championship winner Jimmy Walker, who was recently diagnosed with Lyme disease, also moved into contention at his hometown event, three strokes behind.

Walker said on Friday he planned to take a break from golf to undergo treatment for the tick-transmitted bacterial infection that can cause headaches, fever, fatigue, rashes and, if less untreated, can spread to the heart, joints and nervous system.

He said he started feeling fatigued late last year, but was not diagnosed accurately until two weeks ago, just before the Masters.

“It’s nice to know it’s something and we can do something about it,” he told the PGA Tour official website.

“It’s something you don’t really like to tell people how tired you are, how fatigued you are ... are you just going crazy, getting old?” –Reuters