Barrage of birdies lifts Walker to lead at Osprey Valley Open
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CALEDON, Ontario, Canada—Danny Walker majored in economics at the University of Virginia. It came in handy Friday in the second round of the Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos - CBM Aggregates.
Numbers tell the story of how Walker built a two-stroke lead over Joseph Harrison at the PGA TOUR Canada event at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley’s Heathlands Course. He’s 11-under after shooting a tournament-best 62. The round included nine birdies.
“It was a great day. I just played really solid. I hit almost every fairway, and I think I hit every green,” Walker said. “So, when you play like that it's pretty stress-free, and I didn’t have to force anything. I was able to hit a few good shots and make some putts. It just added up to a great round.”
Walker recorded birdies on the first three holes and later added a streak from the 13th to 16th holes. Between the runs, he birdied No. 9 and No. 11.
“Honestly, everything was clicking today. It was just one of those days where I was hitting the driver well, I was hitting some good iron shots and the putter felt great,” said Walker, who has 26 career Korn Ferry Tour starts between 2019 and 2020. “So, when everything feels good you’ve just got to get out of your own way and not think too much and just let it happen, which I think I did a good job of today.”
A good morning. That, simply put, is what lifted Harrison to move up 18 leaderboard spots and into sole possession of second place. Harrison took advantage of an early tee time. He’s 9-under, two shots behind Walker with 36 holes left to play.
The former University of San Diego standout birdied the first two holes and four of seven to begin the day. He added an eagle on the ninth hole to finish with a 30 on the front nine. Birdies on No. 14 and No. 18 rounded out a round free of bogeys.
“We didn’t have any wind really at all through our first seven holes, which was nice. The complete opposite of [Thursday],” Harrison said. “So, it was nice to hit a couple shots close and take advantage.”
After shooting a 70 in windy conditions Thursday, Harrison posted a 63 on Friday. The Las Vegas resident teed off at 7:40 a.m., and was obviously pleased about how things went with the early start.
Harrison said the greens became “crunchy,” fast and a little bit bumpy in the afternoons.
“So, I knew if I was going to make some putts, I would do it early on since being the second group going out,” he added.
Even so, Harrison noted he missed four putts inside of 10 feet. That hasn’t lessened his confidence heading into the weekend. Instead, it’s given him a boost.
“If I continue to hit it well and give myself (birdie) looks, then there isn’t any reason I can’t roll it in,” Harrison said.
Several other golfers are in close pursuit of Walker and Harrison. The nearest, at 8-under, is Jacob Solomon. At 7-under is a group that includes Parker Gillam, Cooper Musselman, Kieran Vincent and Joey Vrzich.
Did you know Danny Walker has a victory on PGA TOUR Canada? He won the Freedom 55 Financial Championship in London, Ontario, in 2018. He opened the tournament with a 7-under 63 and shot a 64 in the final round to prevail by two strokes over George Cunningham and Jonathan Garrick.