Beginning off No. 10 tee, World No. 407 Austin Cook authored a 6-under-par 34-31=65 in the second round of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open for a 36-hole tally of 14-under 128, up one place on the day and good for a four-way T1 with Martin Laird (63), Patrick Cantlay (65), and Brian Harman (63).
Play is still in progress but this should be the 29-year-old’s third 36-hole lead/co-lead in 85 events, previously 1-for-2 converting. His most recent was a T1 at the 2019 Valspar (69-67) before finishing T9 (72-72), and his one success was at the 2018 RSM Classic, where he led by one (66-62) and won by four (66-67) for his lone TOUR victory to date. The Arkansas alum hit 11 (of 14) fairways and 15 greens in regulation, losing strokes off-the-tee (-0.089) and around-the-green (-0.113), but gaining 0.474 on approach. He squared a lone bogey-4 at hole 5 (missed par-saver from 5'7"), camouflaged by seven birdies at 10-12, 14, 16, 3 and 7, five from between 10 and 35 feet. Cook, a pre-tourney 400/1 outright, registered 1.533 putts per GIR and 2.716 SG: Putting with 27 total putts, missing two other birdie chances from inside of seven feet.