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Sports

Knox, Putnam share lead at Stadion Classic

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

Athens, GA – Russell Knox tied the best round of the day with a 5-under 66 on Friday to grab a share of the lead at the Stadion Classic at UGA.

Knox was joined at 7-under-par 135 by Michael Putnam, who birdied his final hole to close out a 3-under 68 during his second round at University of Georgia Country Club.

"I've played pretty well all year, but I've putted just horrendously. Yesterday and today I putted great," said Knox. "This is definitely the best I've felt on the greens in a long time."

First-round co-leader Brendon Todd (70) is among four players tied for third place at 6-under. He is joined by Matt Bettencourt (67), Tim Wilkinson (69) and Daniel Chopra (68).

Joe Durant (66) and Bhavik Patel (69) share seventh at minus-5.

Knox started on the back nine and opened with a bogey at the 10th, but quickly recovered with a birdie at the 11th.

He then rolled in a pair of birdies at the 14th and 16th to move to 4-under for the tournament.

After parring his next five holes, he recorded birdies at the fourth, sixth and eighth to take the outright lead at 7-under.

He closed with a par at the last to stay there.

Putnam, meanwhile, also traded a bogey at his first hole with a birdie at the second, but tripped to another bogey at the fifth to drop to 1-over on the day.

He later was able to get back into red numbers with back-to-back birdies at the eighth and ninth.

A bogey at the 10th halted his momentum and brought him back to even-par, but he closed strong with three birdies over his final five holes to meet Knox atop the leaderboard.

"I've been playing really consistent golf, so hopefully I can keep doing that the next two days and take home a trophy," Putnam said.

Todd had earlier moved himself ahead of clubhouse leaders Chopra and Bettencourt with a birdie at the sixth, but then bogeyed the 10th to fall back into a tie for the lead.

The Georgia alum again grabbed the outright lead with a birdie at the 15th before stumbling to a double bogey at the par-3 16th to fall a stroke off the pace.

But he followed that mistake with a birdie at the 17th and closed with a par to finish with the group tied for third.

NOTES: John Daly (shoulder) and Gary Christian (wrist) withdrew during the second round ... Cameron Beckman was disqualified ... Miguel Angel Carballo also shot a 66 along with Knox and Durant ... The cut was set at 1-over-par 143, with 62 players advancing to the weekend ... Defending champion Hudson Swafford carded his second straight even-par 71 on Friday to advance to the third round. No player on the Web.com Tour has ever successfully defended his title.