At the Nicklaus Tournament Course, sponsor invite and World No. 291 Wes Roach fired a bogey-free 7-under-par 33-32=65 in the second round of The American Express for a 36-hole total of 11-under 133, up 31 spots to T6, four short of co-leaders Rickie Fowler and Scottie Scheffler.
Playing this season on conditional status, the Duke alum checked in 4-for-6 with one top 25, a T8 at the opposite-field Bermuda Championship three starts ago. This is his fourth AmEx with one prior cash, a T34 two tries ago in 2016 (67-71-69-68). The 31-year-old hit seven (of 14) fairways and 10 greens in regulation, carding five birdies at holes 9, 11, 12, 14 and 15, adding a hole-out eagle at the par-5 seventh. He opened with an up-and-down 68 at La Quinta CC (1 eagle, 5 birdies, 3 bogeys), so will challenge the Stadium Course in R3.