Corey Pereira (Sacramento, California) remains bogey-free through 36 holes at Blackhawk Golf Club, and a second-round 63 has given him a 15-under total and a two-stroke lead entering the weekend at the ATB Classic presented by Building Trades of Alberta.
Through the season’s first 13 events, Pereira has the tour’s second-best scoring average (67.52) and his 7-under 63 on Friday was his 10th consecutive round in the 60s. He has five top-fives this season, including fifth-place finishes in his last two starts, and is currently No. 3 on the points list with just one event remaining before the top 10 players earn Korn Ferry Tour membership for 2027.
In June, Pereira’s win at the Mexico Championship presented by Scotia Wealth Management came nearly one year after his wife, Leah, died from a rare and highly aggressive sarcoma, and put him on a path to return to the Korn Ferry Tour for the first time since the 2022 season.
Also shooting 63, matching Pereira’s score, were Connor Howe (Ogden, Utah), Charlie Crockett (Surrey, England) and Garrett Endicott (San Antonio, Texas). Howe is second at 13-under and projected to move from No. 19 to No. 7 on the points list, while Crockett is third at 12-under and projected to move from No. 23rd to 15th. In a three-way tie for fourth at 11-under, Endicott is projected to move from 93rd to 62nd. After this week’s regular-season finale, the top 60 players on the points list qualify for the season-ending Dominican Republic Tour Championship presented by Scotiabank.
Also in a tie for fourth, at 11-under, are Justin Biwer (San Diego, California) and Connor Gaunt (Cabot, Arkansas). Competing on the course he grew up playing, sponsor exemption Wil Bateman (Edmonton, Alberta) opened with rounds of 64-67 to join Noah Steele (Kingston, Ontario) and three other players in a tie for eighth at 9-under.
Playing in the last group to finish on 18 right before darkness, Josh Nagy (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) fired a low of the day 8-under 62 to make the cut on the number. Nagy made eight birdies to move up 79 spots and will enter the weekend tied for 58th at 4-under. Zach Pollo (Rocklin, California) followed a course-record-setting 61 that gave him the opening-round lead with a 75 to make the cut on the number as well.
