Putnam Fires 65 to Tie Knox in Vegas


Andrew Putnam carded a 6-under 65 to rise to the top of the leaderboard in the Shriners Hospital for Children Open. The $6.2 million PGA Tour event began Thursday at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas.

Putnam, a 25-year-old rookie from Tacoma, posted seven birdies and a bogey to tie Scotsman Russell Knox at 10-under 132. The 29-year-old Knox, who's been on the Tour for three years and best finish is a second, carded a 67.

One stroke back are Andrew Svoboda (67) and Tony Finau, a 25-year-old rookie who recorded a 65.

Like Putnam, Finau graduated to the PGA Tour off the recently concluded Web.com Tour season. Finau won the developmental circuit's Stonebrae Classic in August, while Putnam claimed victory in April's WNB Golf Classic.

Trailing by two are Spencer Levin - who matched the day's low round of 8-under 63, defending champion Webb Simpson (65), George McNeill (63), Ben Martin (66), Bo Van Pelt (68) and Scott Piercy (67).

First-round co-leaders Stewart Cink and Scotland's Martin Laird fell down the leaderboard, with Cink - who hasn't won since the 2009 British Open - dropping the furthest.

Starting the second round on the 10th tee, the 41-year-old Cink quadruple-bogeyed the par-4 11th - his second hole of the day - and then bogeyed the 12th before birdies on the 16th and 17th, making the turn in 3-over 39.

On his back nine, Cink tacked on two birdies, a bogey and a double on the par-4 seventh (his 16th) for a 4-over 75. He heads into the weekend in 45th place at 3-under 139.

Laird, who also began Friday on No. 10, was sailing along nicely with three birdies and a bogey on the opening side. But after a birdie on his 15th hole, the 31-year-old Glaswegian, like Cink, also doubled the short seventh before parring out for a 70 and joining the group in fifth at 8-under 134.

The cut was set at 2-under. Sang-Moon Bae, who won last week's Frys.com Open - the season opener on the PGA Tour, followed up his opening 71 with a 72 and didn't qualify for the weekend.

For all the scores, visit http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html.