Flores & Cabrera Tied for Halfway Lead in Wells Fargo Championship


American Martin Flores and Argentina's Angel Cabrera share the 36-hole lead in the Wells Fargo Championship. The $6.9 million PGA Tour event began Thursday at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C.

After opening with a 5-under 67, Flores, a 32-year-old from Fort Worth, Texas, posted a 68 to reach 9-under 135, the same total as Cabrera. Flores is looking for his first victory on the PGA Tour.

The 44-year-old Cabrera, whose only two wins in the States are majors - the 2007 U.S. Open and 2009 Masters, has posted rounds of 66 and 69.

One stroke behind the co-leaders is 2013 U.S. Open champion Justin Rose. The 33-year-old Brit followed up his opening 69 with a 67. Two strokes back are Shawn Stefani (68) and J.B. Holmes (67).

Cabrera enjoys Quail Hollow, a course that allows him to use one of his most effective clubs, the driver. "It's a course that lets me hit driver a lot and for that reason it probably fits my game well, and that's probably why I play well here," Cabrera said.

"I've been working really hard and working hard to have weeks like this, and I'm going to keep working and more weeks like this will come."

Flores feels the same about the layout, which opened in 1959 and was originally designed by George W. Cobb, with subsequent revisions by Arnold Palmer and Tom Fazio. "Mentally I've been patient and comfortable on this golf course. It just seems to fit my eye. I don't know what it is but consequently I've driven the ball pretty well and it's given me a lot of short irons to the greens," Flores said.

"Through 36 I'm in great position. You know, I've tried to refuse to think about winning. … I just try to go out there each day and play my best. And be very, very patient, like I said before, because a lot of times in the past, I've tried to be too perfect, and for some reason this sport doesn't really work out that way."

Three shots out of the lead are Kevin Kisner (66), Martin Kaymer (69) and Stewart Cink (70).

The round of the day was fired by Zimbabwe's Brendon de Jonge, who matched the course record of 10-under 62. "I had absolutely nothing to lose starting out this morning," said de Jonge, who shot an 8-over 80 Thursday. "I knew it was going to take a wonderful round just to play the weekend, so it was a little bit easier to relax and be a little bit more aggressive out there.

"I knew I had to keep going really just to make the cut, so I had that mindset all day that I needed to get out and get as far under par as possible, and thank goodness it worked out."

Other scores included a 75 by Phil Mickelson. The five-time major winner opened with a promising 67 but had a disappointing second round with three birdies and six bogeys.

"I can't believe the difference in putting from yesterday to today," Mickelson lamented. "Yesterday I saw every ball go in the hole, and today I couldn't get 'em to fall and was three putting, which is funny because the greens today were so perfect.

"I don't know what it was. I couldn't read 'em right," Lefty added. "When I thought I hit a good putt, it broke, and when I played for break, it didn't. I was just a little off on the greens today, but they're rolling beautifully; I just didn't quite judge 'em right."

The 36-hole cut was established at 1-over 145. Making it to the weekend right on the number was major champion Rory McIlroy, who won his first victory in the States here in 2010.

McIlroy was also off his game on Friday. "I got a little careless with my first hole, and second hole knocked it a few feet by, so three putt bogey wasn't what I wanted to start off with, and I hit it right behind the tree on the third on the left, and I had to take an unplayable, and I had to take an unplayable on 4, hit my shot left of the green and it ended up in a bush over there. So just sloppy shots and ended up making two doubles in a row.

"I guess after that was a little better but I didn't have my game today. Off the tee it was good, I drove the ball pretty well, didn't get the ball close enough with my approach shots, and my putting didn't feel as comfortable today as it did yesterday."

Defending champion Derek Ernst rallied after an opening 73 with a 68 to reach 3-under in the tournament.

Rickie Fowler, who won the second of his two PGA Tour titles at Quail Hollow in 2012, made the cut with rounds of 74 and 71.

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