Sanford International
Minnehaha Country Club | Sioux Falls, South Dakota | September 20-22, 2019
Second-Round Notes
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Course Setup: Par 70 / 6,602 yards (R2 average: 70.104, Cumulative: 71.110)
Weather: Mostly sunny with a high near 80. Wind from the WSW at 10-20 mph.
Media Contact: Chris Richards (678-644-4258)
| Player | To Par | Scores | |
| T1. | Kirk Triplett | -6 | 66-68 – 134 |
| T1. | Ken Duke | -6 | 69-65 – 134 |
| 3. | Paul Goydos | -5 | 69-66 – 135 |
| T4. | Steve Flesch | -4 | 71-65 – 136 |
| T4. | Colin Montgomerie | -4 | 70-66 – 136 |
| T4. | Three others | -4 |
Quick Links:
- Leaderboard
- Final-round tee times (Golf Channel coverage: 6-8 p.m. ET, tape delayed)
- PGATOURmedia.com (transcripts and other resources available for download)
Kirk Triplett, 66-68 – 134 (-6)
- Triplett birdied the 18th hole to cap off a 2-under 68 and join Ken Duke atop the leaderboard at 6-under 134.
- This is the fourth time Triplett will start the final round as a leader/co-leader, and first since the 2017 U.S. Senior Open. He has 3-for-3 in converting these leads/co-leads into victories.
- This marks the third time Triplett will play in Sunday’s final group this season. Most recently, he closed with a 3-under 69 and finished T2 at the Mastercard Japan Championship.
- Through two rounds, Triplett has hit 30 of 36 GIR, tied for best in the field. On the season, he ranks 13th in that category (70.34%).
- Triplett posted his seventh career victory in March when he defeated Woody Austin in a playoff at the Hoag Classic. He leads the Tour with four runner-up finishes this season and he is No. 10 in the Charles Schwab Cup.
Ken Duke, 69-65 – 134 (-6)
- This is the first time Duke will start the final round as a leader/co-leader in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event. This week is Duke’s 488th start (159 Korn Ferry, 313 PGA TOUR, 16 PGA TOUR Champions).
- Duke will play in Sunday’s final group for the second time this season. At The Senior Open Championship, he closed with a 3-over 73 and finished T10.
- Duke’s only win on the PGA TOUR was the 2013 Travelers Championship. Should he go on to win this week, it would break a winless drought of 150 starts (126 PGA TOUR, 15 PGA TOUR Champions, 9 Korn Ferry Tour) over the last 6 years, 2 months, 30 days.
- Duke would be the third first-time winner on PGA TOUR Champions this season (Retief Goosen/Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship, Doug Barron/DICK’S Sporting Goods Open).
- Duke turned 50 on January 29, 2019, and this week is his 16th start of his rookie season. He has top-20 finishes in his last seven starts, and he’s coming off a T8 finish at the Shaw Charity Classic.
- Duke is one of 10 players that has earned more than $1 million on both the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR. This year on PGA TOUR Champions, he has won $419,099 and is No. 39 in the Charles Schwab Cup.
Second-Round Lead Notes
- This season, 11 players have led/co-led entering the final round and gone on to win. The last player to do so was Jerry Kelly at last week’s Ally Challenge.
- At last year’s Sanford International, Steve Stricker and Brandt Jobe shared the 36-hole lead at 10-under. Stricker closed with a final-round 67 and won by four.
Paul Goydos, 69-66 – 135 (-5)
- Goydos birdied all three par 5s Saturday and is in third place after a second-round 66. He is 5-under on the par 5s this week, tied for best in the field.
- Goydos will play in Sunday’s final group for the second time this season. At the Insperity Invitational, he closed with a 2-under 70 and finished T4.
- His last win on PGA TOUR Champions was the 2017 3M Championship, his fifth career victory. He has not won in his last 54 starts on Tour.
- Last year, Goydos opened with a 6-under 64, but closed with rounds of 70-70 to finish T9 at this event.
- He has six top-10s, including a T2 at the Regions Tradition, and is No. 16 in the Charles Schwab Cup.
Other Notes
- The best second-round score was 5-under 65, shot by three players: Ken Duke (T1/-6), Steve Flesch (T4/-4) and Jay Haas (T14/-2).
- Tom Byrum, who was born in Onida, South Dakota, carded three birdies and an eagle on the back nine en route to a 2-under 68. He is T14 at 2-under 138.
- Charles Schwab Cup leader Scott McCarron carded a second-round 68 and is T14 at 2-under.
- McCarron’s closest pursuer in the standings is Jerry Kelly, who is T9 at 3-under after shooting 67 on Saturday.
- Jeff Sluman is making his 1,000th career start (300 PGA TOUR Champions, 700 PGA TOUR). He shot 67 on Saturday and is T9.
