Springer leads by three strokes halfway through CentrePort Canada Rail Park Manitoba Open

WINNIPEG, Manitoba – Hayden Springer overcame windy, blustery conditions to shoot a 65 on Friday and holds a three-shot lead at the midway point of the CentrePort Canada Rail Park Manitoba Open, the eighth event on PGA TOUR Canada’s 10-tournament schedule.

Springer played a bogey-free round and made seven birdies to produce the low round of the day and stands at 13-under 131 at the Southwood Golf and Country Club. Canadians Joey Savoie, Johnny Travale and Jared du Toit and the USA’s Tommy Kuhl are tied for second at 10-under. Canadian Thomas Giroux and American Harrison Ott are tied in sixth place at 9-under.

After playing in ideal conditions during the first round, players had to contend with gustier winds and colder temperatures on Friday. The changing weather didn’t seem to bother Springer, who played in a short-sleeve shirt and trimmed a shot off his first-round 66.

“I just kind of played solid,” Springer said. “I think I missed one green. That’s kind of what you have to do when it’s windy. It’s just hitting greens and giving yourself opportunities.”

Springer, of Trophy Club, Texas, is competing in his fourth PGA TOUR Canada event since transitioning from PGA TOUR Latinoamerica. His best finish is a tie for ninth at the Quebec Open. Springer is seeking his first victory in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event but is putting little stock in the security of a three-shot lead.

“Everybody out here makes a ton of birdies, so you’re probably going to have to keep it going and make a ton of birdies. But I can only control the things I can control and hopefully I can do that better than anybody else. Hit fairways, hit greens and hopefully keep the putter going, but not make it too complicated”

Savoie, of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, played in the morning wave and followed his first-round 65 with a 69. He had three-consecutive birdies on each side, but that was offset by three bogeys.

“Yesterday I played really good, but today was one of those days where you had to feel even more satisfied because on a day like today the big number can happen more quickly,” Savoie said. “A miss yesterday might be in the bunker, where a miss today night be in the thick stuff, you might lose your ball. Under those conditions I think it’s even more satisfying.”

Travale, of Hamilton, Ontario, followed his first-round 63 with a 71. He had two birdies and one bogey on his card. Travale got into the field on a sponsor exemption.

Du Toit, of Calgary, Alberta, got off to a rocky start with bogeys on two of his first three holes. But he recovered to reel off three-straight birdies and five on the front nine to turn in 33. He added two more birdies on the back to shoot a 67.

Kuhl, of Morton, Illinois, followed his 65 with a second-round 69. Kuhl had five birdies, including one on the final hole.

“It was a solid day,” Kuhl said. “Waking up this morning and seeing the conditions, I knew it was going to be tough out there. My mindset was just take it one shot at a time and play solid golf. I’m happy with 3-under. I had a good finish, which was nice, but there’s a lot of golf left.”

First-round leader Devon Bling had troubles on his final nine holes, shooting a 40, to card a 74. Bling, who opened with a 62 on Thursday, dropped into a tie for eighth place.

The cut came at 2-under 142. Sixty players earned the right to compete on the weekend.