Kevin Yu clubhouse leader in Austin as another round fails to finish

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Kevin Yu at least managed to finish the second round Friday at the Austin Championship with another 6-under 66. Whether he keeps the lead is not nearly as important as how he finishes the PGA Tour’s penultimate fall tournament.

Yu, who came into the week at No. 99 in the FedEx Cup Fall standings, finished with two good par putts and was at 12-under 132.

Trace Crowe, the 18-hole leader who played in the afternoon, was at 13 under when play was suspended for the second straight day by darkness. Crowe faced a 55-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th hole when play was to resume Saturday morning at Omni Barton Creek.

“If you think about it, it’s definitely a lot of pressure,” Yu said about the standings. “But on the golf course pressure’s not going to do anything good to you. I’m trying to just be myself on the course, try to hit good golf shots.

“If I just keep hitting good golf shots, the good golf is going to take care of itself.”

A.J. Ewart (66) of Coquitlam, B.C., was the top Canadian at 6-under-par 138. Sudarshan Yellamaraju (70) of Mississauga, Ont., was at 5 under.

The PGA Tour season ends next week at Sea Island on the Georgia coast, and the top 100 are assured full status for 2027, a key year before the tour shifts its competitive model.

Brian Harman, whose 2023 British Open title came with a five-year exemption, had a 66 and was at 11-unde 133 along with Kristoffer Ventura (67), who also has status locked up for next year.

Crowe went 32 holes before finally making a bogey, going from the rough to well over the green on the 15th hole and missing a par putt from outside 20 feet. He finishes with a par 5 on Saturday, and the tour is hopeful Saturday will finish on time with a smaller field after the cut.

The 36-hole cut was likely to come at 4-under 140. That would spell trouble for Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who was on the bubble coming into the week, along with Davis Thompson.

Chris Kirk started at No. 102 and was certain to miss the cut.

Blades Brown, the 19-year-old who won in Mexico last week, hit a drive into the trees to start the back nine and made double bogey, followed that with a bogey and finished with three birdies over his last five holes for a 70 that put him in the group at 9-under 135.

Another teenager, Miles Russell, was still on the course. The high school senior from Florida made five straight birdies and was 4 under for his round and at 9-under par for the tournament with three holes remaining in his round.

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The Associated Press